Liberation heroes 4

Ahmed Ben Bella

By Tesfu Telahoun

Africa’s second largest nation by land area is officially called the peoples Democratic Party Democratic Republic of Algeria. This nation almost 34 million is an established member of the global community and as benefits this sovereignty, Algeria is an active member of the U.N. A.U., Maghreb Union, the Arab League and member other regional and international organizations. Currently, Algeria enjoys near universally excellent relations and also maintains close bilateral ties with Ethiopia.
This resource rich nation, today highly prosperous and largely stabilized after a very dark and bloody period between 1992 – 1999, has passed through difficult moments on its torturous path to independence.
The Algerian people up to independence in 1962, were for centuries subjugated by a succession of invaders and colonizers. Romans Phoenicians, Vandals< Arabs and for 300 years the Ottoman Turks (1518 to 1830) had roamed across this vast nation they had conquered. The Ottoman’s relinquished control to France in 1830 as the years of French colonial rule began to register, hundreds of thousands of European settlers were shipped in and by the first decade of the 20th century, colonial control had reached its height.
On December 25, 1916 in Maghna small village in remote western Algeria, a Sufi Muslim family welcomed a new son and named him Ahmed Ben Bella. He was Destined to figure prominently in the war of independence and as the first president of free Algeria.
Ben Bella it is recalled was not an Arabic speaker and his language was French. This he considered a great handicap. In one memorable occasion in carol, Jamal Abdel Nasser invited Ben Bella to address a gathering. However, Ben Bella broke down and wept, out of shame at his inability to speak’ Arabic.
Ben Bella was so impressed and influenced by the Egyptian revolutionary that he chose to describe himself proudly as a ‘Nasserite’ Ben Bella volunteered to join the French Army in 1936 and was stationed in Marceille. Soldiering was not his forte at the time but rather his prowess on the football pitch. In fact, the future president played as center back for Olympique de Marseille from 1939 – 1940. Ae refused to sign as a professional player.
Ben Bella’s army career was highly successful. He won the croix de Guerre and the medaille militaire. However, he rejected an offer to be a commissioned officer in protest against brutalfrench reprisals to put down a revolt in the town of set it in 1945. This marked the turning point of Ben Bella’s political maturity. He was soon in the crosshairs of colonial intelligence. Especially after he founded with other Algeria patriots the organization special, (OS) an underground movement determined to resist French rule. The OS became the precursor to the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN).
Ben Bella was arrested for subversion in 1951 and condemned to 8 years imprisonment the irreplaceable Ben Bella soon escaped and by way of Tunis, managed to arrive in Cairo. Egypt became the base of the member Revolutionary Committee of unity and action, the FLN’s core leadership.
Ahmed Ben Bella lived in Egypt under Nasser’s mentorship until 1956 when the aircraft he was on was forced to land by the French and he was imprisoned in France for six years. Ben Bella, a populist, was elected premiere on September 20, 1962.
In 1965 Ben Bella was replaced by his comrade Houari Boumedienne. He was briefly exiled to Switzerland but did return to Algeria in 1990.

Gov’t bans nude photos exhibit

By Tedla Yeneakal

Authorities from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday banned what would have been the first ever nude photographs exhibition in Ethiopia, scheduled from Friday this week to July 4, and titled ‘Black diamonds’, the organizer photographer Beniam Mengesha unveiled.
“I was asked by the authorities to show them the photographs that were to be displayed and was told that they are more pornographic than an art display,” Beniam said. “The photographs are fine art and include partial nudity aided by digital photography; they were supposed to inform me before I sustained a lot of expenditure to mount the exhibition.”
The exhibition that was to be displayed at the Abesha Gallery was set to display 45 photos, and would have been the first such exhibition in the country.
According to Biniam, the photos are part of a wider collection and reveal part of a model’s figure and they are not actually modeling in the nude.
Observing samples of the photos that were scheduled for display it was noted there was surprisingly low sensuality. Some of the shots were taken of the waist up but the private parts the female models are still visible in others.
“It is very sad that the artist from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism thought the images are pornographic and do not conform to Ethiopian culture; for me, it is purely a form of creative fine art,” Biniam said. “I am currently arranging to show the images elsewhere in Africa, where the art will truly be appreciated.”
Officials from the Ministry were unavailable for comment.