Foreign

Key reasons Ethiopia was never colonised

Published

9 months ago

March 2, 2024

Ethiopia is the only African country that was never colonised by Britain. While many African countries were colonised by European powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Ethiopia successfully resisted colonisation, became Africa’s oldest independent state and the only African country that avoided colonial rule.

Although Italy only occupied Ethiopia in 1936 and got kicked out in 1941, it is still considered as the only African nation that was never colonised by the Europeans.

Ethiopia’s journey towards independence began long before the ‘scramble for Africa’ – the period between 1884 and 1914, when the European colonisers partitioned unexplored African continent into protectorates, colonies and ‘free-trade areas’ – in the late 19th century. Ethiopia had established itself as a powerful empire in the Horn of Africa, renowned for its strong monarchies and proud traditions with a sense of national identity and unity which proved crucial in facing external threats.

As European powers embarked on their quest for colonial domination in Africa, Ethiopia emerged as a prime target due to its strategic location and abundant resources. However, unlike many African nations – like Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Sierra Leone, etc – that succumbed to European armies and colonial ambitions, Ethiopia resisted all of these.

One of the defining moments in Ethiopia’s struggle against colonialism came in 1896, during the Battle of Adwa. In a remarkable display of unity and military prowess, Ethiopian forces, led by Emperor Menelik II, defeated the Italian army, which sought to establish colonial rule and with the victory at Adwa, the myth of European invincibility was broken thereby cementing Ethiopia’s status as an independent nation.Some of the reasons why Ethiopia was able to stand firm against the Europeans are:

1. Ethiopia was able to use diplomacy and strategic alliances to maintain its independence. Emperor Menelik II forged alliances with European powers, such as France and Russia, which provided Ethiopia with economic and military support. These alliances also made it clear to potential colonizers that any attempt to invade Ethiopia would be met with resistance from a powerful coalition of nations.

2. Ethiopia was able to modernize its military and political institutions, which made it a formidable opponent to potential colonizers. The country’s ruler at the time, Emperor Menelik II, recognized the threat of European imperialism and began a program of modernization and reform investing in modern weapons, training its army and reforming the country’s legal and administrative systems, making Ethiopia a more centralized and efficient state.

3. Ethiopia was an independent nation, with a long and proud history of resistance to foreign rule. The country had successfully fought off attempts at invasion by neighboring countries, such as Egypt and Italy, before the scramble for Africa even began.

Furthermore, Ethiopia’s terrain and geography served as challenges to colonizers. The country’s mountainous landscapes and remote regions made it difficult for foreign armies to penetrate deep into Ethiopian territory, providing a natural defense against external threats.

Ethiopia’s status as the only African country that was never colonized by Britain is proof of the resilience, courage, and determination of its people. Through centuries of struggle and sacrifice, Ethiopia emerged triumphant, preserving its independence and inspiring generations of Africans to fight for their freedom with its legacy becoming the nation that defied the odds and carved its destiny amidst the noise of colonialism.

Foreign

Trump plans mass deportations, end birthright citizenship

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

United States President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to deport all immigrants in the United States illegally over his upcoming four-year term.

In an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump detailed his vision for a broad crackdown on illegal immigration, which he intends to classify as a national emergency upon taking office on January 20.

According to Reuters, the Department of Homeland Security estimates that as of January 2022, over 11 million people are in the US without legal status, a figure likely higher today.

Trump affirmed his intention to remove all unauthorized immigrants, stating, “I think you have to do it. It’s a very tough thing to do. You know, you have rules, regulations, laws.”

While emphasising enforcement, Trump signaled willingness to negotiate protections for “Dreamers,” immigrants brought to the US illegally as children.

During his first term, Trump attempted to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, which provides deportation relief to this group, but was blocked by the Supreme Court.

Trump also plans to issue an executive order to end birthright citizenship on his first day in office.

The policy, which grants citizenship to anyone born on US soil regardless of their parents’ immigration status, is rooted in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and reinforced by an 1898 Supreme Court decision.

“We’ll maybe have to go back to the people,” he said.

Trump acknowledged potential legal challenges to his proposal and suggested that achieving this goal might require a constitutional amendment.

The implementation of these measures would demand substantial financial resources.

The American Immigration Council estimates the cost of deporting all unauthorized immigrants at $88 billion annually. Trump’s team, including incoming border czar Tom Homan, has called on Congress to provide significant funding increases to support immigration enforcement efforts.

Foreign

Macron, Trump, Zelensky Meet In Paris

Published

3 days ago

December 8, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday was hosting three-way talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris, an AFP correspondent said.

Trump held talks with Macron inside the Elysee Palace ahead of the re-opening ceremony for Notre Dame cathedral, with Zelensky then arriving and immediately joining them.

The trio posed for a picture but made no further public comment before starting the talks.

AFP

Foreign

Ghana counts ballots after stiff presidential election

Published

3 days ago

December 8, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Ghana counted ballots on Saturday after a tight election with the ruling party’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia trying to shake off anger over economic woes and rebuff a challenge by opposition party candidate ex-president John Mahama.

Ghana’s struggling economy dominated the election, after the west Africa gold and cacao producer went through a debt default, high inflation and negotiations for a $3 billion IMF bailout.

Voters were choosing a successor to Bawumia’s boss, President Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after serving the maximum of two four-year terms. They will also elect the country’s new parliament.

Voting was mostly calm, but one person was shot dead and four people arrested at a polling station in Nyankpala in the country’s northern region, police and local media said.

After polls closed at 1700 GMT, election teams immediately began tallying ballots under the watch of agents from political parties before sending them to collation centres.

Preliminary results are expected early Sunday, with full presidential results scheduled by Tuesday.

“Everyone is complaining prices are high. So I want a change, I want a good president who will bring in changes,” Abdullah Mohammed, a student said after voting in Accra’s Nima district.

With a history of political stability, Ghana’s two main parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992.

Touting the slogan “Break the 8” — a reference to going past the usual two terms in power — the NPP hopes Bawumia can lead them to an unprecedented third term. But he struggled to break away from criticism of Akufo-Addo’s economic record.

“I think we have done a lot of work with our message to the people and the message has been well received,” Bawumia said after voting in his northern home Walewale.

A UK-educated economist and former central banker, he points to an economy turning a corner and the government’s continued plans for digitalisation to ease business, as well as free education and health programmes.

Economic frustrations

But though inflation slowed from more than 50 percent to around 23 percent, and other macro-economic indicators are stabilising, the economic pain was still a clear election issue.

Many Ghanaians still say they struggle with the cost of living, scarce jobs and a depreciated cedi currency.

Frustration over the economy has opened the way for a comeback challenge from Mahama, who was president from 2012 to 2017 but has since failed twice in presidential bids.

The NDC flag-bearer says he will “reset” Ghana and introduce a “24-hour economy”, extending industrial hours to create jobs, and also renegotiate parts of the IMF deal.

“Other elections have not been as obvious,” Mahama said voting in his northern hometown. “With this one, everybody can tell the direction because of the abysmal performance of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government.”

Some analysts gave him an edge because of voter dismay with NPP, but the former president faced criticism from those who remember financial woes and massive power cuts during his time in office.

Shoe saleswoman Esther Adobea said the economic situation hurt, but she was willing to give Bawumia a chance to make things better.

“I can see he can handle the country for us. Our economy is not good, but he can do better,” she said.

Both major candidates are from the north of the country — traditionally an NDC stronghold, but now more fragmented — making the region a key battleground.

While the economy was key, Ghana also faces an increasing risk of spillover in its northern regions from jihadist conflicts in Niger and Burkina Faso, where military juntas rule.

The spread of illegal gold mining also became an election issue. Akufo-Addo promised to stop illegal mining, but it has expanded, poisoning riverways and impacting cacao farmlands — a major source of export income.

AFP