Ethiopia celebrates its national day on May 28. Like many national days, National Day of Ethiopia commemorates liberation – but not, like most Third World countries, liberation from a colonial power. Instead, Ethiopia celebrates liberation from itself. Specifically, the Marxist-Leninist dictatorship of the Derg junta which ruled the country for nearly two decades, until 1991.
Oppressive military dictatorships, especially of a Marxist-Leninist streak, are far too common in Africa, of course. Almost always, this proclivity for violent strongman rule is blamed on ‘the legacy of colonialism’. Ethiopia has no such excuse.
