Haile Selassie I. on Somalis/Somalia
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:38 am
Question:
The future of the Somali peoples living in the territories bordering on Ethiopia under the rule
of the three powers has been the object of speculation in some foreign newspapers lately.
While some appear to have grasped the problems that have to be dealt with in the future,
they often make it appear as if the only solution lies in the permanent division of these
territories which is undoubtedly detrimental to all concerned in this region. What is the view
of Your Majesty in this all-important matter?
answer:
In the years following the Second World War several attempts have been made by politically
interested parties to create situations that would arouse our anxieties concerning the
Somalis living in the territories bordering on Ethiopia. What we see from time to time
appearing in some foreign newspapers is motivated by the same policy of preserving
self-interest by creating dissention and disharmony in this area which cannot be said to be in
the interest of the peoples of the region.
Our attitude to the Somalis who belong to the same race as the Ethiopian people and share
with them a common history, has always been crystal clear, namely, that of supporting
everything conducive to their wellbeing and progress. It was in keeping with this policy that
we recently invited the leaders of United Nations Trust Somalia and had talks with them here.
our strong appeal to our Somali brothers is to be aware of those who, in the furtherance of
their self-interest, seek to plunge this area into chaos, thereby disturbing the peace that has
reigned in this part of the world for a long time. Much harm can be avoided by understanding
in time the real intentions of these self-seekers.
quote from Haile Selassie I- The Formative Years by Harold G Marcus;
As the awful prospect of war became evident, the emperor began planning Ethiopia's defenses. In May, 1935 he travelled to Harer, met with the Ogaden's Somali leaders, and raised the specter of racial war to enlist their support. He told his listeners:
"I am the emperor of all the blacks and all the blacks are my subjects," particularly those "currently enslaved by the whites in Somalia." All black men, the monarch contended, shared a responsibility to defend the black motherland from whites determined to "destroy your religion and mine, confiscate our goods, and place us under harsh discipline--incompatible with our love of liberty."
The future of the Somali peoples living in the territories bordering on Ethiopia under the rule
of the three powers has been the object of speculation in some foreign newspapers lately.
While some appear to have grasped the problems that have to be dealt with in the future,
they often make it appear as if the only solution lies in the permanent division of these
territories which is undoubtedly detrimental to all concerned in this region. What is the view
of Your Majesty in this all-important matter?
answer:
In the years following the Second World War several attempts have been made by politically
interested parties to create situations that would arouse our anxieties concerning the
Somalis living in the territories bordering on Ethiopia. What we see from time to time
appearing in some foreign newspapers is motivated by the same policy of preserving
self-interest by creating dissention and disharmony in this area which cannot be said to be in
the interest of the peoples of the region.
Our attitude to the Somalis who belong to the same race as the Ethiopian people and share
with them a common history, has always been crystal clear, namely, that of supporting
everything conducive to their wellbeing and progress. It was in keeping with this policy that
we recently invited the leaders of United Nations Trust Somalia and had talks with them here.
our strong appeal to our Somali brothers is to be aware of those who, in the furtherance of
their self-interest, seek to plunge this area into chaos, thereby disturbing the peace that has
reigned in this part of the world for a long time. Much harm can be avoided by understanding
in time the real intentions of these self-seekers.
quote from Haile Selassie I- The Formative Years by Harold G Marcus;
As the awful prospect of war became evident, the emperor began planning Ethiopia's defenses. In May, 1935 he travelled to Harer, met with the Ogaden's Somali leaders, and raised the specter of racial war to enlist their support. He told his listeners:
"I am the emperor of all the blacks and all the blacks are my subjects," particularly those "currently enslaved by the whites in Somalia." All black men, the monarch contended, shared a responsibility to defend the black motherland from whites determined to "destroy your religion and mine, confiscate our goods, and place us under harsh discipline--incompatible with our love of liberty."
.. the brittish gave him Ogadenia
u are not caadi walle