s An Experience I’ll Never Forget’
across Ethiopia. The parks are set high on a hill in the center of the city, offering sweeping panoramic views of Addis Ababa. “Traveling in Africa, green spaces are limited because, as we know, economic development takes center stage. This was also true in Ethiopia until 2019 when Unity Park was opened and then Friendship Park. The park is huge and helps with pollution. It’s so peaceful on the grounds, a sanctuary away from the chaos of the bustling city.” Visiting Addis Ababa’s Red Terror Martyrs’ Memorial Museum, Auzzi learned about a horrific genocide by a communist regime that occurred in Ethiopia in the 1970s. A series of adverse events and a hostile political climate set the scene for the tragedy: famine, recurring drought, failed harvests, conflict that prevented aid from reaching people in the occupied territory, and government policies that relocated families and routed relief to certain areas.
“‘As if I bore them all in one night, they slew them in a single night.’ This is a famous quote from a mother who lost her children. Many locals don’t like to talk about it. Most didn’t want to visit the memorial with me. It was a bone-chilling feeling. I was the only person there when I walked in. It was dark with barely any light. I wondered if it was on purpose. It felt like a place of contemplation; a place of remembrance and warning.” “The Wall of Death is all that’s left. The victims lives are forever immortalized in the museum. It’s hard to fathom that this genocide occurred just over 40 years ago. The people look like me and the pictures are graphic. Many women and children were killed. It was a sad moment for Africa and Black history overall. Worst of all, many of the
19 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021
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