June 30, 2018
H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed
Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia.
Subject: Justice for Ethiopia
The Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause presents its compliments to H.E./Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and submits this appeal for justice for His Excellency’s consideration. We would, first of all, express our grateful thanks to the Almighty for having spared Your Excellency’s life during the bomb explosion at the recent public rally in Addis Ababa while, at the same time, conveying our sincere condolences and best wishes to the families who suffered lost and injured relatives at the same event.
It is well known that during the 1935-41 Fascist Italian invasion of Ethiopia with the Vatican’s complicity, Ethiopia lost one million lives including the 30,000 people massacred within three days in Addis Ababa in February 1937 as well as the destruction of 2,000 churches, 525,000 homes and 14 million animals and the looting of vast quantities of Ethiopian properties.
It is sad to note that the Italian Government has not yet undertaken its duty of paying adequate reparations for the war crimes it has committed in Ethiopia while, for instance, it has agreed to pay US$5 billion to Libya for the massacre of 30,000 it perpetrated under the leadership of Mussolini and Rodolfo Graziani. The Vatican has also not yet apologized to Ethiopia for its complicity with Fascist Italy despite the abundant evidence provided by our organization to Pope Benedict and Pope Francis I and the fact that it has apologized to the Jewish people, Latin Americans and Rwandans. The Vatican has recognized the genocide committed 103 years ago by the Ottoman Turks against the Armenians who are currently demanding US$3 Trillion as a remuneration for their loss.
We would like to draw Your Excellency’s attention to the fact that our Alliance’s main objectives are as follows:
- The payment of adequate reparations by Italy to Ethiopia in terms of projects for the benefit of the Ethiopian people;
- Vatican’s apology to the Ethiopian people for its complicity with Fascist Italy (the number of signatures needed: 100,000);
- Restitution of the Ethiopian properties looted by Fascist Italy including the 500 manuscripts currently in the custody of the Vatican library;
- The United Nations recognition of the Fascist Italian war crimes in Ethiopia; and
- The removal of the mausoleum established by Italians at Affile and inaugurated in the presence of a Vatican representative.
Among the numerous actions undertaken by our Alliance, mention can be made of the letters of appeal submitted to the Italian Government, the Vatican, the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union, the Governments of USA and UK; the arrangement of the annual commemorations of Yekatit 12 martyrs day in some 30 countries throughout the world; initiating the collaboration for the removal of the Graziani mausoleum; etc.
We are pleased to note that the achievements so far include the signing of over 6,300 people including Italians of the international petition (www.globalallianceforethiopia.net) calling for a Vatican apology to the Ethiopian people; the decision by the Lazio Regional Council (Italy) that the Graziani mausoleum be removed; a verdict by an Italian court which sentenced the mayor of Affile and two councilors to periods of imprisonment, financial penalties and suspension from Government jobs; the acceptance of our Alliance by UN ECOSOC as a member; the response by the European Union’s Parliament that it would look into our appeal; an encouraging response by the His Eminence Cardinal Berhaneyesus of the Catholic Church to our letter of appeal; etc.
Your Excellency is, we trust, aware of the fact that other countries such as Kenya and Indonesia have had apologies and remunerations for similar crimes by the UK and the Netherlands Governments. There is, therefore, no reason why Ethiopia should not be accorded with the justice that it deserves for the huge war crimes it suffered by Fascist Italy.
We, therefore, appeal to Your Excellency to use your influence for the achievement of the justice required for our beloved country, Ethiopia.
Respectfully yours,
Kidane Alemayehu
Executive Director
CC: The President and Prime Minister of Italy
His Holiness Pope Francis I
The Secretary General of the African Union
The Secretary General of the United Nations
The European Union Parliament
The President of USA
The Prime Minister of UK
