User:Bezawit assefa/sandbox

ወጣት ካቶሊክ ሰማአት ስምኦን አደፍርስ አድጎአይቸው

የካቲት 12 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የተሰዋ ያልተዘመረለት ወጣት ታክሲ ነጂ አርበኛ

የካቲት 12 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም. አርብ የሚካኤል ዕለት የጣሊያን ፋሺስቱ ሙሶሎኒ የኢትዮጵያ እንደራሴ የነበረውን ሩዶልፎ ግራዚያኒን በቦምብ ለመግደል በገነተ ልዑል ቤተመንግስት (አሁን የአዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርስቲ) ግቢ ውስጥ ከአብርሃ ደቦጭና ሞገስ አስገዶም ጋር ከግድያው ሴራ ጥንስስ ጀምሮ አብሮ የነበረው፣ ስለቦምብ አጠቃቀም አነቃቀልና አወራወር ለተግባር ልምምድ ወደ ዝቋላ ወስዶ በጋራ እንዲሰጠልኑ ያደረገ፣ ከቦምብ ጥቃቱ በኋላም ጓደኞቹን ወደስላሴ ፍቼ ደብረ ሊባኖስ በራሱ ታክሲ አድርሶ እንዲያመልጡ ያደረጋቸው ነገር ግን የጀግንነት አርበኝነት ታሪኩ ከእነሱ ጋር የማይጠቀሰውንና የማይዘክረውን ባለታክሲው አርበኛ ስምኦን አደፍርስ አድጎአይቸው የሚባል አርበኛ መሆኑን ያውቁ ኖሯል?

ስምኦን ከአባቱ ከአቶ አደፍርስ አድጎአይቸውና ከእናቱ ከወ/ሮ ወለተ ብርሃን መሸሻ በቀድሞው ሐረርጌ ጠቅላይ ግዛት አሁን በኦሮሚያ ክልል ምዕራብ ሐረርጌ ዞን ፣ በአንጫር ወረዳ ልዩ ስሙ ላፍቶ ጎባ በሚባለው በካቶሊክ እምነት ፅኑ ከሆኑ ቤተሰቦች በ1905 ዓ.ም ተወለደ፡፡አራት ወንድሞች ነበሩት ደበበ፣ አጎናፍር፣ ከተማና ሱራፌል አደፍርስ ሲሆኑ እንዲሁም አምስት እህቶች ነበሩት ሸዋረገድ ፣አሰገደች ፣ ማንያህልሻል፣ እርባን፣ የውብ ሰፈር ፣ ማዘር ትሬዝ አደፍርስ / አሁን ሐረር ካቶሊክ ገዳም የሚኖሩና በሕይወት ያሉ መነኩሲት/ ናቸው፡፡ ዕድሜው ለትምህርት እንደደረሰ በመጀመሪያ እዚያው ላፍቶ ጉባ በሚገኘው ቅዱስ እያቄም የካቶሊክ ቤተክርስቲያን ደብር (አሁን ቅዱስ ገብርኤል ካቶሊክ ቤተክርስቲያን) ከዚያም ወደ አዲስ አበባ በህፃንነቱ በመምጣት በካቶሊክ ልደታ ማሪያም ካቴድራልና በአሊያንስ ፍራንሲዝ ትምህርቱን በሚገባ አጠናቀቀ፡፡ ከዚያም በኋላ የተዋጣለት የንግድ ሰው ሆኖ በታክሲ አገልግሎት የግል ሥራ ተሰማርቶ ይኖር ነበር፡፡

thumb ፋሽስት ኢጣሊያን ከጥንት የተመኘቻትን ኢትዮጰያን በ1928 ወረረች፡፡ አዲስ አበባንም በቁጥጥር ሥር አድርጋ የግፍ አገዛዟን መዘርጋትና ማጠናከር ጀመረች፡፡ ስምኦን የእናት ሀገሩ መደፈርና በነጮች ሥር የቅኝ ተገዥ መሆን የሆድ ውስጥ ቁስል ሆኖበት ያዝንና ይቆጭ ነበር፡፡ ዘመዶችና ወገኖች በየዱሩ ተበተኑ፣ ሌሎችም ተሰደዱ፡፡ በተለይ ወንድሞቹ ደበበና አጎናፍር አደፍርስ በመጀመሪያ ጅቡቲ ቀጥሎም ኬንያ ተሰደው የአርበኝነት ሥራቸውን ከውጭ አፋፋሙ፡፡ ስምኦን ወደ ስደት ጥሪ ቢደረግለትም መሰደድን አልመረጠም፡፡ ምርጫው አዲስ አበባ ውስጥ በመቅረትና የውስጥ አርበኛ በመሆን ለሀገሩ ነፃነት መዋጋትን ዋናው ሀሳቡ አደረገ፡፡

ወንድሙ አጎናፍር አደፍርስ ከጅቡቲ በተጨማሪ ሌላ መኪና ልኮለት በሁለት የኦፔል መኪናዎች የታክሲ ሥራውን ቀጠለ ፡፡ በዚያ ወቅት በአጠቃላይ ወደ ስምንት የሚሆኑ ታክሲዎች የነበሩ ሲሆን ደምበኞቻቸውን ከማቆሚያቸው ቅዱስ ጊዮርጊስ ቤተ ክርስቲያን በመነሳት ወደ ለገሃር ወደገፈርሳ ግቢ ሌጋሲዮኖችና ሆቴሎች እየተጓዙ ይሰሩ ነበር፡፡ ከአብርሃና ሞገስ አስገዶም ጋር የተዋወቁትና የተግባቡት በዚህ የታክሲ ባለቤትነቱና ለሀገሩም ካለው ተቆርቋሪነትና ታማኝነት አኳያም ነበር፡፡

ሦስቱም በፋሽስት ጣሊያን አገዛዝ የተበሳጩና ግራዚያኒን ለመግደል ቆርጠው የተነሱ ወጣቶች ነበሩ፡፡ እሱም ሀሳባቸውን ሀሳቡ በማድረግ አብረው የግድያ ሴራ ዕቅድ ያወጡ ነበር፡፡ የመጀመሪያ እቅዳቸው ዝቋላ በመሄድ በግራዚያኒ ላይ ምን አይነት እርምጃ እንደሚወሰድና ከወሰዱም በኋላ ምን ማድረግ እንዳለባቸው እቅድ ሲያወጡ ከረሙ፡፡ በተለይም የቦምብ አፈታትና አወራወር ልምምድ ያጠኑት ዝቋላ ነበር፡፡ ያስተማራቸውም የደጃዝማች ፍቅረማርያም መትረየስ ተኳሽ የነበረ ሰው ነው፡፡

የካቲት 12 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም. አርብ የቅዱስ ሚካኤል ዕለት የአዲስ አበባ ህዝብ ቤተመንግስት እንዲገኙ ታዘዘ፡፡ግራዚያኒም ለድሆች ምፅዋት እሰጣለሁ ስላለ ብዙ ሰው ወደግቢው አመራ፡፡ አብርሃና ሞገስም አስተርጓሚዎች ስለነበሩ ግቢ ገቡ፡፡ በወቅቱ ስምኦን መኪናውን አዘጋጅቶ በአፍንጮ በር በኩል ይጠብቃቸው ነበር፡፡ በዕለቱ 5.00 ሰዓት ገደማ ግራዚያኒ ሕዝብ ሰብስቦ ይደነፋል፡፡ የአርበኞቻችንንም ስም እየጠራ ያንኳስሳል፡፡ የሁሉንም አንገት ቆርጩ ሮማ እልካለሁ ይላል፡፡ በዚህ ወቅት አብረሃምና ሞገስ ግራዚያኒ ላይ ቦምብ ጣሉበት፡፡ እርሱንና ከእርሱ ጋር የነበሩትን ጄኔራሎች አቆስሉ ፡፡ የአውሮፐላን አብራሪዎች ጀኔራል ሞተ፡፡ ከዚያም በተፈጠረው ረብሻ መትረየስና ጠመንጃ ሲተኮስ እነርሱ በፊት በር በኩል አምልጠው ወጥተው በተዘጋጀችው በስምኦን ታክሲ መኪና በቀጨኔ በኩል ወጥተው የጎጃምን መንገድ ይዘው በሱሉልታ በኩል ወደስላሴ (ፍቼ) ደብረሊባኖስ ሄዱ፡፡ ስምኦንም እነርሱን እዚያ አድርሶ ወደ አዲስ አበባ ተመለሰ፡፡ የካቲት 19 ቀን 1929 ዓ/ም በሳምንቱ ጣሊያኖች በጥቆማ መጥተው ስምኦንና የቤት ሰራተኛውን ያዙ፡፡ ለየብቻ አሠሯቸው “ እንዲህ እንዲህ ያሉ ሰዎች ይመጡ ነበር ወይ?” እያሉ ሠራተኛውን ጠየቁት፡፡ እሱም ያየውን ሁሉ ነገራቸው፡፡ ፈተው ለቀቁት፡፡ ሠራተኛው ባደረገው ጥቆማ ብዙ የስምኦን ጓደኞች ታደኑ ታስረውም ተገደሉ ፡፡ የስምኦን ታናሽ ወንድም ሱራፌል አደፍርስም ሲታደን ከርሞ ሊያዝ ሲል ሌሊት አምልጦ በእግሩ ከአዲስ አበባ ወደትውልድ ሥፍራው ወደ ሐረርጌ ተመለሰ፡፡

ስምኦን የመጀመሪያው የጭካኔ ቅጣት ከደረሰበት በኋላ ደጃች ውቤ ሠፈር በነበረው የጣሊያን ፖለቲካ ጉዳዩች ጽ/ቤት (Ufficio Politico) አጠገብ በሚገኝው ጊዮርጊስ እስር ቤት (አሁን ት/ቤት ነው) አሠሩት፡፡ ምርመራውም በጥብቅ ቀጠለ፡፡ በመግረፍ፣ ፀጉሩን በመንጨት፣ የጣቶቹን ጥፍር በመንቀል፣ የሥቃይ ውርጂብኝ ቢያወርዱበትም ስምኦን ከአላማው ፍንክች አላለም፡፡ ምስጢር አላወጣም፡፡ አሰቃዮቹ ከእርሱ ምንም ማግኘት ስላልተቻላቸው ሚያዝያ 29 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም ገደሉት፡፡

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Simeon Adefris: Young Catholic Martyred Patriot Haraghe - Anchar (Lafetogoba) - Addis Ababa: 1913-1937 Simeon was born in 1913 in Oromia region Eastern Hararghe Administration Anchar worda, Lafetogoba in Hararghe administration Ethiopia, the son of Adefris Adegoayichew and Welete-Birhan Meshesha. Simeon came from a large family he had four brothers: Agonafer, Ketema, Debebe, and Surafel and six sisters Shewareged, Asegedech, Maneyahleshal, Mother Terza, Yewebsefer and Erbane.

Although he was born and brought up in Harar, Simeon’s family was originally from Ankober, East of Debre Birhan on the edge of the escarpment making the eastern boundary of the great Shewan plateau, and where the Italians were meet sift resistance to their occupation.

Simeon’s family had moved to Harare to join the catholic community associated with the renowned Gugliemo, Massaya. There the young Simeon recovered his early education from French- speaking teacher at the catholic mission school. He then moved to Addis Ababa, where he studied at the catholic school at the Cathedral Church of Ledeta Maryiam, Subseqently, Simeon enrolled at the Alliance Francaise, the most important foreign sponsored school in Ethiopia at the time, located in the city’s central, Arada district. Simeon was a popular boy and well regarded, through those who remember him say that he could be aggressive where aroused.

Simeon as a Businessman After leaving Alliance Francaise around 1932, Simeon set up a taxi service. He was fortunate enough to own two vehicles importer for him by his brother Agonafer, a business man in Dir Dawa who later exiled in Djibouti. Agonafer’s investment launched his young brother’s career in this line of business, and soon Simeon had become a distinctive figure in the city.

At that time, Addis Ababa taxis, which were principally American, were a considerably more exclusive facility than they all today. Far from plying for common hire, they were relatively few in number, and were booked by well-headed clients at the registered taxi stands. Simeon vehicles were based at the central taxi station which was on the road linking piazza with the St George’s church intersection, on the left immediately after leaving piazza. Opposite was the La Confiance Restaurant, in front of which the taxis also parked when the taxi- station was full.

Of this two vehicles, Simeon favorite was a four door ply mouth limousine. Simeon collected passengers’ from the railway station and took them to such destination as the city centre, then known as Arada, St George church the Palace, the Foreign Legations and Hotels. Typical fares were between one and five Maria Theresa thalers .During the occupation he continued quietly running his business.

The Conspirators The plot to assassinate Graziani - or more accurately to decapitate or immobilize the Italian government in Ethiopia had its roots in discussions between involving many actors but main conspirators Sebhat Turuneh, Moges, Abrha and Simeon who identified as the fourth man. [Ian Campbell: 12]

Their meeting place was arranged by Simeon. It was the piazza residence of Tesfays Tegen who was foreign minister to whom Simeon sister Shewareged Adefris was married. From the moment he became one of the plotters, Simeon Adefris assumed a pivotal role and one that had not existed before while Abriha was the man of action, his energies needed to be directed, and it was Simeon who finally pulled things together and turned youthful idealism and energy in to practical reality.

Training at Mount Zeqwala Simeon made arrangement for having Moges and Abriha trained in the use of the grenades during a secret retreat in the sparsely populated lowlands at the foot of Mount Zequala in the rift valley, some sixty- eight kilometers drive South East of Addis Ababa. The training was directed by a gunner named Beshah Yemeru, Dejazemach Fikermariam Abatechan bodyguard. [Ian Campbell: 151, Pankrust: Addis Tribune, 2004]

When they returned to Addis Abeba the fortnight at the Zuqula certainly same to have had an impact on the plotters, for Simeon’s relatives and friends asked what had happened to him. Two weeks’ exposure living bare foot and undergoing the rigours of the counter side had made a noticeable difference to his appearance. However, Simeon brushed them off explaining that he had dare taking clients on a tour.

19 February, 1937 (Yekatet 12, 1929 E.C) The day chosen by Graziani for Ethiopians to celebrate the Royal birth was the twelfth of the Ethiopian month of Yekatit (the 19th of February), the day on which the monthly celebrations St Michael is traditionally held. Being a popular event, when many residents of the city would rise early to attend church services, the numbers at the palace where expected to be large indeed they were. [Ian Campbell: 196]

As the destitute and the aged made their way to the Gennete Liul palace from their houses, or from church, they found Italian civilian and military officials milling around, resplendent in their uniforms, and a number of Ethiopia dignitaries in their fine cloaks and traditional dress, waiting at the palace front for the ceremony to begin.

The Assassins Strike Suddenly, there was an explosion, making the dias slake, and a cloud of dust billowed up from the portico.

Abriha Deboch and Moges Asegedom threw at first two bombs, one each against the machine – guns placed in position on the balcony of the Governor palace. These two bombs killed or wounded a good member of the Italian officers who were standing on the balcony. Aided by the confusion and panic thus created they threw seven bombs on the group of Giaziani and his immediate suite the viceroy was tell to the ground, where he lay unconscious , face – down, his back penetrated by more than three hundred and fifty pieces of shrapne. Graziani escorted by a captain of the carabinieri drove the viceroy in a convoy out the Palace grounds and sped westwards to the Ospedale Italiano. [Ian Campbell: 203]

The incident led, as is widely known, to the great massacre Abriha and Moges duly hurled their grenades. Seized the opportunity of the general excitement following the explosion to rush out of the compound. Moges and Abriha escaped together from the back of the place through gate 6- then known as “Afincho Ber” from where they were driven off to Selale – Fiche – Debrelibanos by Simeon Adefris own taxi automobile. [Ibid: 211]

The Return of Simeon The conspirator Simeon Adefris, who was enmeshed in the plot, had orchestrated the preparations for Abriha and Moges for Yekatit 12, had acted as the link with Letyebelu and had delivered his friends to safety from under the very noses of the Fascist in a dramatic flight from the capital, made an extraordinary decision. He decided to go back to Addis Ababa. Why did simeon on return? He must have been aware of the extent of the hue and cry in the city, and the devastation that had been wrought and was still being wrought on its residents. The inevitable conclusion is that he was above confident that he was above suspicion, that he had been careful enough to cover his tracks, that no one would suspect that he had been involved. [Ibid: 276]

Unfortunately for Simeon, his confidence was misplaced. The plot was not as secret as he thought.

The Arrest and Death of Simeon When Simeon arrived home on Sunday evening; the carabinieri were waiting for him. In his absence his servant had been questioned, and had told his interrogators that Simeon had disappeared and revealed everything he knew, and his revelations are believed to have led to the death of several innocent friends and acquaintances.

Simone Adefirs was taken to St George prison, in Wibe Sefer, which achieved great notoriety during the occupation. Simeon’s money and vehicles were confiscated and he was interrogated under torture. The unfinished business for Graziani included dealing with the third plotter, Simeon Adefris. Languishing in St George prison, he knew the embarrassing truth, that the viceroy had been so incompetent as to employ potential assassins in his own administration, and so lax as to have allowed the assassins to mingle among the assembly of dignitaries, and even to carry hand grenades in to the heart of the Fascist High Command. Disclosure of such information would have been devastating, and might have resulted in Graziani dismissal. [Ibid: 278]

The viceroy apparently had no intention of leaving any evidence that he had Simeon deliberately killed, for shortly after leaving hospital and returning to his office at the Gennete Lule Palace, he gave instruction for a method that would leave no mark, and which was own character for the Fascist. The order was given to Dr Vittoric Lannuzzi, prison Doctor, to carry out, and hence on the morning of the 7th day of May Simeon was killed by a fatal injection. [Ian Campbell: 281] Although it was the authorities’ intention to dispose of the body secreted, in this matter they were outwitted by Simeon’s family. Having heard of Dr Lannuzzi’s fondness for gold, Simeon’s sister, Shewareged, used her jewelry to bribe him into releasing her brother’s body. Presented with the corpse. She was distraught to see that he had been badly beaten and his hair and finger-nails had been pulled out.

Simeon Adefris was laid to rest on the 10th of May 1937 by Abba Francois Marqos in a secret, unmarked grave at the cemetery of the Catholic Church of St Peter and St Paul, in Gulele, Addis Ababa, under “cause of death” the Abba Penned a brief note: “Mort dans La prison”. [Ian Campbell: 282]

Thanks to the persistence of his family, Simeon Adefris, who played a critical role in the plot, was not forgotten. In 1986 Stung by the lack of recognition of Simeon’s contribution, his sister Assegedech appeared on National Radio and Television talking about her brothers involvement in the attempt to assassinate Graziani.

Moreover, Simeon’s nephew, his Holiness Cardinal Birhane-Yesus, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Church of Ethiopia, had his uncle’s re-interred. Hence a marble headstone in the silence of the cemetery at Gulele mounted on 1991 (1983E.C) tells the story of Simon’s short but eventful life. Furthermore, recently Simeon family also erected memorial stands at the silence of the cemetery at Gulele on the 7th of May 2017.

Executive council of the Association of the Ethiopians in recognition of Simeon patriotism decided to be elevated from ordinary mortals to iconic figure as a national hero. Furthermore, the Association issued commemorative stamps during the 75th Diamond Jubilee of victory day celebrations on 2017. [Association of Ethiopian Patriots, Ene Lehagere, No. 4, 2009E.C]

Thanks to the meticulous research of Ian Campbell, The Plot to Kill Graziani, we now have the first major and very successful work to reconstruct the full history of the assassination attempt on Graziani on February 19,1937 and its bloody consequences. Further, it departs considerably from the widely held view history books, as well as popular writings talked only of Abereha Deboch and Moges Asegedom us the sole actors in the assassination attempt. It took more than 75 years to identify and to bring to light one of the active participants who paid with his life for it – Simeon Adefris.

Finally, we want to address to the concerned government institution to give due historical consideration for his patriotism by giving memorial monuments, Public School, Road, Hospital, Public Square, etc., for serving of the nation.