Amharic version ክህደት በደም መሬት September 14, 2006   Dawit Wolde Giorgis, critically acclaimed author of Red Tears, a book on Revolution, War and Famine during the cold War era, pens a new book in Amharic.    Emaelafe Zeleke    Title: Kihidet Bedem Meret Author:  Dawit Wolde Giorgis Pages: 470 Price: $30 (USD) Publisher: Aesop Publishers and Distributors

In his new book, Kihidet Bedem Meret, Dawit Wolde Giorgis recants an age of inexorable war in Ethiopia—the struggles, defeats, and victories. At times, a harrowing tale of foreign enemies and invaders, traitors and foreign agents, Dawit searches desperately for the silver lining. He finds it among the scores of gallant Ethiopian fighters constantly resisting anti-Ethiopian forces. These resistance fighters are clear and resolute of purpose; freedom and unity are paramount and to be achieved at all costs. He masterfully tells the story of a nation that has been in agony for long years; placing himself in the midst of a struggle to reclaim Ethiopian history from its current propaganda spinning regime.  

Dawit addresses a whole host of long-standing threats and challenges of Ethiopia's survival and security as a multi-ethnic nation state—from issues of access to the Red Sea to the hydro-politics of the Nile, the problem of the Ogaden, and the threats posed by Jihadist/Islamic extremism in our present time.  Kihidet Bedem Meret chronicles significant yet forgotten aspects of Ethiopia’s political and military history to date. Dawit, with invigorating insight bring to the fore the events and attendant errors committed by the nation’s successive leaders and the grave impact that these errors and blunders have had on the destiny of the Ethiopian nation. Kihidet Bedem Meret is a political story that unravels the truth about the corroding legacies of Isaias Afeworki, Meles Zenawi, and other leaders of the Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF), who, over the past 35 years, have worked treacherously in an attempt to disunite Ethiopia.   

With equal pains, Dawit tells the story of the huge sacrifices paid in sweat, blood, limbs and lives by countless Ethiopian Eritreans who remained steadfast in defense of Ethiopia, their beloved homeland. Kihidet Bedem Meret tells the amazing story of the patriotic struggles of Black Lion veterans such as Colonel Haileab and other patriotic Ethiopians of Eritrean origin such as General Andom, Dejazmach Gebrekal, among scores of others. Their struggles, victories, and martyrdom inform the narrative flow of the book.  

In much the same way, Dawit promotes discussions about historical facts and figures. The book touches on the King of Kings Yohannes IV, Ras Alula, Emperor Minilik and Eritrea, and Eritrea and Adwa in relation to the bigger picture of strategic significance for what would unfold in later periods. The battles of Korea, Congo, Ogaden, Wolwol, Dogali, Gundet, Guraa, Haley Koatit and Senaafe also have broad representations. The major battles in Northern Ethiopia during the Derg/WPE regime  such as: Key Bahir Zemecha (Operation of Red sea),Yekey Kokeb Zemecha (Operation Red star ), and  Bahre Negash Zemecha (Operation Ruler of the Sea) are presented critically with all the success and failure that had far reaching consequences for the final collapse of the Ethiopian Armed Forces. The story tells a heart-wrenching record of defeats and glamorous days of spectacular victories. It gives a detailed account of those zealous combatants of the modern Ethiopian Armed Forces, their huge sacrifices and remarkable supremacy over invading enemies and local traitors.  

Kihidet Bedem Meret is an archive of many civilian officials and officers of both the emperor and the Derg era. Dawit has a lot to tell as never before about the modern Ethiopian army from its inception all the way through to its maturity. The book discusses the historical beginnings of the Ground Force, Air Force and the Navy, from their superior warfare to the immense sacrifices paid by their members on various battlefields. Inevitably, Dawit follows the armed forces to their tragic demise.  

In Kihidet Bedem Meret, Dawit exposes much about the current tyrants’ treachery, deception, and infamous attempt to fabricate a "new history" of Ethiopia. The book goes to great lengths to prevent the current and future generations of Ethiopians from confusion in regards to our recent past.  It is also an appeal for all Ethiopians to honor the heroes who have given their precious lives in defense of the unity and territorial integrity of Ethiopia. It evokes strong emotions, implanting vivid images of the fallen heroes of Ethiopia in the minds and hearts of this generation and of generations to come.  

Major Dawit Wolde Giorgis, the writer, is one of the prominent figures in Ethiopian politics. Major Dawit, who was among the 2nd intakes of the Harar Military Academy, and who later graduated with a Law degree from Addis Ababa University and Columbia University in the United States, has served as a military trainer and operations officer/fighter during many operations in Eritrea. Later, and until he was forced to leave the country following serious disputes with the top echelons of the Derg/WPE  regime, he held civilian positions as supreme civilian  representative of the regime to  Eritrea, Deputy Foreign Minister and the Commissioner of Relief and Rehabilitation, among other civilian  positions he held during Col Mengisu's regime.  

Major Dawit, who previously wrote Red Tears, a treatise on Revolution, War, and Famine in Ethiopia during the final waning of the Cold War era, makes his literary return with Kihidet Bedem Meret in an effort to demystify and debunk the many fabrications about the war and the root causes of the war in Eritrea, erroneously penned and told by those at the helm of state power today in both Asmara and Addis Ababa. He invites his readers to take part in terrific stories never told before. Dawit, in his meticulous narrative, helps the reader to visualize the real, phenomenally heroic, and yet tragic stories of Ethiopian battlefields, as opposed to the fictitious stories orchestrated by the TPLF/EPRDF propaganda machinery.  

Part historical text and part authorial memoir, Dawit tells us a lot about Ethiopia. The topics found in this moving piece of political and military history/memoir, will undoubtedly provoke discussion and debate among the readership and scholars of our recent political and military past. Dawit is a source person. His work Kihidet Bedem Meret will be hailed as a historical document about the heroic achievements and huge sacrifices of generations of gallant Ethiopians and the members of the Ethiopian Armed Forces. All told, the book contains many previously neglected aspects of our history, which this generation simply can’t afford to ignore. Dawit's Kihidet Be Dem Meret is a must read.  

Title: Kihidet Bedem Meret . Author:  Dawit Wolde Giorgis

Pages: 470. Price:  $30 (USD). Publisher: Aesop Publishers and Distributors

To Order a copy of the book E-mail: Aesoppublishers@aol.com.