November 16, 1875
Egypt sought to expand its control from the Red Sea coast into Ethiopia. Emperor Yohannes IV’s forces defeated the Egyptian expedition at Gundet
Gundet was more than a battlefield victory. It was a defense of our sovereignty against foreign invasion.
#Gundet150
@fetanewbaburu You do not bring rifles to a lion's den. Gundet, then Gura, then Adwa. Egypt keeps paying tuition for the same lesson and Ras Alula keeps the receipts. እንኳን ለ150ኛው የጉንደት ድል በሰላም አደረሳችሁ!
@fetanewbaburu ከጉንድት እስከ ጉራ እስከ ጉባ! Egypt has never learned that Ethiopia's patience is not weakness. Oh Egypt... just stay calm and accept the reality!
A city built on neutral ground, belonging to no single group, became a nation's center. That is the model a diverse federation needs: citizens first, not tribes.
When Botswana became independent in 1966, it had no capital of its own. The British had governed the Bechuanaland Protectorate from Mafeking, a town that sat inside South Africa.
So Botswana built one. Construction of Gaborone began in 1964, near the Notwane River and a railway line, on a site with no tie to any single ethnic group. Most of the city went up within three years. On 30 September 1966, independence day, it became the capital.
In 1964 it had 3,855 people. The 2022 census counted 246,325, with 534,842 in the wider metro area. That is about 64 times as many in the city itself.
Even a planned city struggled to keep up. Labourers who built Gaborone settled illegally on its southern edge, and by 1971 the council had to survey land for low-income housing. In January 2025 the Gaborone Dam fell to 36%, a level the water utility said could supply the city for 14 months without new inflow.
Gaborone shows a planned capital is possible. It also shows that planning does not end when the ribbon is cut.
For nearly four decades, Shabia has functioned as a regional mercenary force serving foreign agendas, producing zero economic value at home while turning an entire nation into an open-air prison.
@shavnyuyngah Dignity over charity! Planning for permanence instead of pretending displacement is temporary is long overdue. The Horn of Africa knows this reality well. I hope this model travels beyond Uganda.
The first novel Ngugi wrote, "The River Between," which he wrote even before "Weep not child," but published after, became the template for misleading generations of Kenyans that our fundamental problem is culture, not politics. It's only recently that I sat down and read that novel again. The novel is about Alliance, western schooling, and about the struggle over education (including the independent schools), but somehow, (and I suspect this was the result of the imperialist involvement) the academy engineered the analysis of the book to make it about a clash between cultures. To this day, the most vocal proponents of African culture in Kenya will not say a word about the imperialism in teaching methods and philosophy. They'll just complain about the queen of Britain being taught, and she isn't taught at all.
That's the same confusion in Kenyan "creatives."
@analyticanew This is what restored diplomatic standing looks like. Ethiopia negotiating a climate partnership on its own terms, not waiting for handouts. Proud moment for our foreign policy!
@africa_rebirth Excellent analysis. Planning matters more than inheritance. Addis Ababa's corridor development is building water lines, transit and walkways for the millions who actually live here today, not for a colonial administrative class.
@_SketchDesigner The school designs stand out. Courtyards, brick screens, natural light and ventilation. Architecture serving learning, not ego. True originality is answering the climate, not chasing strange forms.