At least one person was killed amid clashes between Ethiopian security forces and residents of Addis Ababa who were celebrating the Adwa victory that marks the defeat of the Italian army by Ethiopian militias in 1896.
Security forces largely ethnic Oromo soldiers Thursday used batons and tear gas to prevent Addis Ababa residents from celebrating Adwa victory at Menilik square where the statue of emperor Menilik is erected.
APA reporter from Addis Ababa saw Oromia Special Forces, National Defense Force troops and police used batons and shot tear gas at residents of the capital city who were celebrating the 127-year anniversary of the Victory of Adwa.
The clashes occurred when the security forces denied the residents access to the square. One person who is a physics teacher at school named after emperor Menilik was killed and a dozen others were wounded after the police shot at the residents.
In recent days, security forces have been harassing traditional clothes makers and confiscating t-shirts in the city which they arbitrarily deemed to be contrary to state-sanctioned narrative on the holiday. Security forces have also reportedly closed down several traditional clothes shops in the city.
The battle of Adwa on March 2,1896, which is also referred to as the first Ethiopian-Italian war, marks the first decisive black victory against a colonizer force in the African continent.
The battle of Adwa which was mainly fought in the Adwa mountains around 980 kilometers north of Addis Ababa, is believed to have inspired other liberation fighters in the continent and around the world to struggle for freedom against colonialism.
MG/abj/APA