Sura Mbaya

In 1899, Joseph Conrad in Heart of Darkness, described events in the Congo as “the vilest scramble for loot that ever disfigured the history of human conscience” Little did he know. 1/ The story of the Congo is one of untold suffering and spectacular plunder. ---Long Thread---

@Dnyutu @johnKamau1 twitter.com/surambaya/stat…

@johnKamau1 What's his story?

One day, this country will apologise to Maj. Gen Kariuki.

@iam_kibet1 @CharlieFlani Origins: latimes.com/archives/la-xp… Demise: businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/kug…

life doesn't get any softer than this

We never know how high we are Till we are asked to rise And then if we are true to plan Our statures touch the skies The Heroism we recite Would be a normal thing Did not ourselves the Cubits warp For fear to be a King —Emily Dickinson Wishing y'all a happy and blessed 2021!

@omunyololo @waweru Geʽez script (consonant only alphabet) from Aksum which was used as early as 5th century BCE. The Aksumites also had their own currency.

@waweru Check, @surambaya had a link for this. See Mandombe alphabet from Congo too.

To the history buffs on the TL how many african communities had an indigenous alphabet/ writing system? And do they still exist ?

@Ogwangsam @qataharraymond Kenya: Between Hope and Despair, 1963-2011 -Daniel Branch Our Turn to Eat - Politics in Kenya Since 1950 -Nic Cheeseman, Leigh Gardner, Daniel Branch Kenya: A History Since Independence -Charles Hornsby MOI - The Making of an African Statesman -Andrew Morton

@qataharraymond Try @surambaya. He has quite a collection.

Kenyan friends: I'm looking for enlightening literature [Mostly books] written on, about or during the Moi Era, any leads?

@kimaniac2002 Interesting. Am not sure.

@surambaya @surambaya there's this Italian War Memorial Cemetery in Mathari, Nyeri. I schooled at Nyeri High School nearby. In an old Church there (probably over 100 years) Mass is held every year to remember the Italian war dead. Any relationship?

Nelson Mandela once declared that Ethiopia held a special place in his imagination. Indeed, the land of coffee, ancient architecture and a resilient people does carry a certain mystique… and a very long, torturous history. 1/ --Long Thread-- [Pic: Children of the Omo Valley]

@GiniMiniManeMo Sub-Saharan*

@NamNilotik Thanks for the clarification.

@PapaPrince10 Europe was this way for centuries. It ended though.

@surambaya Thank you for this thread. So eye opening. Will the horn of Africa ever know true peace?

@NamNilotik In ancient Greece it was known as Aethiopia. Same country though.

@wmnjoya Ethiopia's regions were brought together under one state by Menelik II. Post 1991 they adopted a dual system with a central govt & 9 regional states with Tigray being dominant due to its history. The conflict is btw the central govt and Tigray region. constitutionnet.org/country/consti…

@surambaya Thank you for this great thread. So what exactly is the conflict? Is it between elites or between regions? Has Ethiopia always been a state, in the European sense of it, or what was the political arrangement before the last century?

@LegalEzra TBH, it's more like the Holy Grail.

@surambaya Is it still in existence? Why the restriction from not viewing? Hiding the secrets of the Church!

@simeonominde True - the Nile holds the key to a lot of power. The dam has also caused quite some damage within the country with the displacement of thousands of Omo Valley people, some of the oldest and most unique cultures in the region. theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…

@simeonominde Egypt - > The GERD I don't think they are totally heartbroken by what's happening.

@simeonominde The US seems to have some deep interests embedded in Ethiopia is therefore taking a keen (probably covert) interest in matters there. theintercept.com/2017/09/13/nsa…

@simeonominde Somalia is certainly involved and of course the ever-present jokers, the CIA.

@ParassisO The Ethiopian constitution actually allows for that, believe it or not. That's how Eritrea was able to get away. The other region is the Ogaden, which has however settled down in recent times.

@surambaya Then ETH is a good example of what Ndii called a cruel marriage! Maybe Ahmed Ali Abiy's Administration needs to consider a refarandum on whether to let go of Tigray and others with similar desires.

@ParassisO It does. The one thing to understand is the ethnic federalism that makes up Ethiopia. It's a conglomeration of former city states and tribal enclaves that coalesced around leaders that were seeking territory and unity. Hence for example, Eritrea's break away in 1993.

@surambaya Great work Sura Mbaya. I have been trying to understand the beef between Tigray and the Govt. of Ethiopia...I just realized that it goes back a long way!

@ThuoKIGO Both correct - head is literal, prince is an equivalent... Entymology: "In Amharic language, the word Ras, literally means “head”. It is an Ethiopian title equivalent to prince or chief." africaresource.com/rasta/sesostri…

@surambaya Ras meaning prince

@PhoenixProdigal TPLF are no angels... not by a long shot. Aside from the atrocities, they have also been accused of stealing and using famine relief funding to purchase weapons.