This week in Ethiopian history March 17-24

On March 17, 1936 Ethiopia filed formal complaint to the League of Nations citing Article 15 of the Covenant, which dealt specifically with disputes which had not proved amenable to arbitration or judicial settlement. Same complaint was also sent to signatories of the Hague Covention & Geneva Protocol which Ethiopia joined in 1935 that Italy's use of poison gas on combatants & civilians as well as bombing of Ethiopian, British & Swedish Red Cross units is clear violation of the internattional agreement.

On 20 March 1950 Emperor Hailesellasie declared the foundation of University College of Addis Ababa by donating one of his palaces for the establishment of the College.

The College was formally inaugurated in February 21, 1951 with hundreds of students and Nine Canadian Jesuits Faculty members who had been elementary & high school teachers in Ethiopia. The College had Library with 7000 volumes of books and the first program offered at the College was diploma/certificate program in Arts & Science. In 1952 the college added Engineering faculty and College of Agriculture was formed in the same year at Alemaya near Harar with the help of Oklahoma State University as part of President Truman's Point Four programme.

On 21 March 1906 - Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael, the father of Emperor Haile Selassie died. Ras Mekonnen was first cousin and close advisor of Emperor Menelik II. He was Governor of Harar, and capable military leader during various military campaigns including the first Italo-Ethiopian war. He played important role at the Battle of Adwa. He was also admired by diplomatic circles for his progressive outlook and diplomatic skills. It can be said he was the first Ethiopian diplomat leading Ethiopian delegations to trips abroad and de facto Foreign Minister handling Ethiopia's dealings with other nations.

Deratu Tulu who became the the first Ethiopian woman to win a medal in the Olympic Games and the first Black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal was born on MEGABIT 12 1964 (March 21, 1972) in Bekoji, Arsi.

She grew up tending cattle in the highlands of Arsi Province, the province where great athletes such as the Legendary Haile Gebre-Selassie, the sensational Kenenisa Bekele, and others came from. Derartu's cousins Ejegayehu Dibaba, Tirunesh Dibaba and Genzebe Dibaba are all successful international long-distance runners, continuing the successful athletic history of the family and the nation.
Dearatu was seventh child in a family of 10 children. Even in elementary school, Derartu excelled in horse riding competitions. Derartu’s first significant win came in a 400 meter race in her school where she out-run the school’s start male athlete. That along with a win in 800 meters race in her district convincingly put Derartu in a path of a successful career in Athletics. In 1988, Derartu represented the region of Arsi and competed in a national 1500 meters race where she won a bronze medal.
When she was 17, Derartu was hired by the Ethiopian Police Force. In 1989, she competed in her first international race of 6 kilometer cross-country in Norway but was 23rd. In a year's time, though, she competed in the same race and won the Gold Medal. Derartu won international recognition and success in the 90’s. Her record-setting win in the 10,000 meter race in Bulgaria and her win in the same distance race in Cairo, Egypt are worth mentioning.
Derartu’s win in the 10,000 meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics goes down in the History Books as the first gold-medal win ever by Black/African woman.
She also won Gold at the 1995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships having arrived at the race only an hour before the start. In 1997 she won the world cross country title for the second time but struggled on the 10,000 meters World Championship during the game and in competions before that. After giving birth, she came back to long distance competition and made history. She won the 10,000 metres Olympic gold for the second time at the Sydney Olympic Games, the only woman to have done this in the short history of the event. She repeated her Olympic victory at Sydney Olympics in 2000. She also became World Champion in 2001. She had also won the IAAF World Cross Country Championships title for the third time.

Her transition to the marathon was rewarded with victories in London and Tokyo Marathons in 2001. In 2009, at the age of 37, she won the New York City Marathon.
Source: MediaEthiopia.com and Wikipedia.


On 23 March 1529 - Muslim forces from the Adal Sultanate and led by Ahmed Ibn Ibrahim al Ghazi (Gragn Mohammed) had their first victory over Christian forces at Battle of Shimbira Kure.

on 24 March 1559 Muslim warriors led by Nur Ibn Mujahid, the nephew of Gragn Mohammed killed King Gelawdeos and avenged the death of his uncle who was killed by Gelawdeos's forces 16 years ago.