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It was 120 years ago that our forefathers fought with valor at the battle of Chelenqo to preserve their sovereignty and independence.They paid a heavy price with their blood for the sake of Harar and her people. For more than a century our people have been acknowledging and commemorating the blood that our forefathers have shed at the battlefield of Chelenqo with the color red. The color red was used in both our houses and clothing to remember our heroic martyrs discreetly to avoid the vengeance of the oppressive regimes of the time. This tradition of commemorating the martyrs of Chelenqo continued even after the establishment of the Harari National Regional State. Both the flags of the Harari National League and the Harari National Regional State have a red stripe to commemorate our martyrs.
During the celebration of Harar’s Millennium we honored the sacrifices of the martyrs of the battle of Chelenqo by building a monument in the center of the city. We also gathered at the battlefield of Chelenqo in large numbers and offered our prayers to the martyrs, and gave thanks to the Almighty for gathering our dispersed people from around the world. Moreover, we honored the 700 grooms that were martyred in Chelenqo, by arranging for a mass wedding of 40 couples.
There is no doubt there were some shortcomings during the celebration of the Millennium. However, this was such a large event, which was unprecedented in scale in our recent history. We will learn from our mistakes and organize an even better and greater event five years from now. We also expect our people to come in an organized manner to accomplish our tasks more effectively. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and commend the Australian community for coming in a very organized manner.
The celebration of Harar's Millennium brought together Hararis from various parts of the world and created a solid networking opportunity amongst our people. Family members and friends who have not seen one another in decades were reunited, and new friendships were formed amongst people who lived in different corners of the world. Moreover, a new bond was established between the younger generation that were born in the diaspora and their home of origin, Harar. We believe the establishment of a working relationship and signing of an agreement between the Harari communities in Toronto and Europe is one of the fruits of the Millennium. We hope such co-operations will continue to be strengthened among our people everywhere.
During the celebration of the Millennium the Harari National Regional State provided land for residential use for more than 1000 individuals who came from the diaspora. This was done to strengthen the bond between our people and their home of origin. It is our hope that our people will use the momentum generated by the millennium to construct their homes, and to contribute to the economic growth of Harar by investing in its economy. We are also in the process of establishing a Harari Development Association, which we expect Hararis from all over the world to participate in. The development of our homeland can only occur through the active participation of our people everywhere. The economic advancements of the other Regional States are directly co-related to the active participation of their respective people in their development associations.
We also expect our people everywhere to actively take part in the preservation of Harar’s heritage for the next generation. Currently we have an aggressive plan to build a large Harari cultural center that will have a museum, library, research center, gymnasium, souvenir shop, restaurant, and large multipurpose meeting halls. We are also planning to rebuild the 3 gates of Harar that were destroyed during the oppressive rule of Haile Selasi, and give them the original look that they once had. The gates to be reconstructed are Argoba Bari, Asumiy Bari, and Sugudat Bari. During the millennium three communities have pledged to fund these projects, and we expect them to start mobilization to fulfill the commitments they made.
The strengthening of the bond with the historic allies of the Harari people was also one of the proudest achievements of the celebration of Harar's Millennium. Oromos, Afars, Somalis, Argobas, and Silties actively participated in the festivities, which resulted in further cementing of the bond among our people. Indeed, Harar's Millennium brought all Ethiopians together and showed the strength that can be achieved through diversity and peaceful co-existence. The presence of the Prime Minister, high government officials, as well as dignitaries and ambassadors from various countries around the world added extra flavor to the festivities, and put Harar in the consciousness of the world. In addition the visit of the Harari diaspora to Somali, Oromia, Afar, Tigray and Amhara Regional States strengthened the bond between our people and the people of their respective host states.
I call on all Harari people everywhere to work towards strengthening the bond between our people and the rest of Ethiopia’s nationalities as means of facilitating co-operation, understanding, and development in our nation.
Once again, I thank all those who made the celebration of Harar’s millennium a success. If we work together by joining hands, without a doubt we can reach new heights and leave a legacy that the future generation will be proud of.
Sincerely,
Murad Abdulhadi
President of the Harari National Regional State
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