The Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause expresses its appreciation to all those who arranged and participated in the global commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the Yekatit 12 Martyrs Day in 2018.
On the basis of the information we have received so far, the event has been commemorated in the following countries and cities:
Ethiopia: Addis Ababa, Gonder, and Debre Libanos Monastery;
Italy: Rome and Belluno;
USA: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Miami, New York, Washington, DC, San Jose and Tampa;
Israel: Jerusalem;
U.K: Coventry and London;
Canada: Vancouver and Toronto;
Germany: Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt and Nuremburg;
South Africa: Pretoria;
Zimbabwe.
The event was commemorated in the form of prayers, meetings or, as undertaken in Washington, DC and Vancouver, through peaceful rallies.
Yekatit 12 is commemorated due to the massacre of 30,000 Ethiopians during February 19-21, 1937 by the Italian Fascists with the implicit support of the Vatican. In addition, one million Ethiopians were massacred during the Italian invasion (1935-41) as well as the destruction of 2,000 churches, 525,000 homes and 14 million animals. Vast quantities of Ethiopian properties were also looted. As if all these were not enough, a mausoleum was installed recently for Rodolfo Graziani who is otherwise known as “the butcher of Ethiopia”.
The Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause is campaigning for the achievement of justice for Ethiopia. Its objectives are Italy’s adequate compensation to the Ethiopian people in the form of useful projects; the restitution of the looted Ethiopian properties; the United Nations to recognize the Fascist Italian war crimes in Ethiopia; a Vatican apology to the Ethiopian people for its complicity with the Fascists, and the removal of the Graziani mausoleum.
Thanks to the Almighty, an Italian court has recently sentenced those responsible for the Graziani mausoleum to imprisonments and financial penalties. Italians have also commemorated the Yekatit 12 Martyrs Day in Rome and Belluno.
Among the ones who deserve appreciation for their support to the cause of justice and a continued anti-Fascist struggle are the following:
The Italian Court that has rendered a just verdict on those responsible for the mausoleum for the criminal, Rodolfo Graziani;
H.E. Mr. Nichola Zingaretti, the Governor of Lazio Province, Italy, and the Provincial Council;
ANPI (The National Association of Italian Partisans);
FARI (Federazione Assemblee Rastafari in Italy);
The Ethiopian Community in Rome;
Mr. Carmelo Crescenti;
Mr. Valerio Ciriaci, producer of the documentary film: “If Only I Were That Warrior”;
Mr. Ian Campbell, author of “The Addis Ababa Massacre”.
May God help Ethiopia to obtain the justice that it deserves.
