Zewde Gabre-Selassie
Dejazmach Zewde Gabre-Selassie ( Amharic ሥላሴ ; born October 13, 1926 in Metcha, Shewa Province ; † 2008 ) was an Ethiopian politician , diplomat and historian .
biography
Political and diplomatic career
Gabre-Selassie came from the imperial family and was a great-great-grandson of Emperor Yohannes IV and cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie and thus carried the title of Dejazmach , the oldest military dignitary and one of the oldest titles at the court of the emperors of Ethiopia.
He took over political offices at an early age and was first governor of Shewa Province and then between 1957 and 1960 mayor of Addis Ababa and was then appointed ambassador to Somalia . In 1961 he returned to Addis Ababa and was Minister of Justice from 1961 to 1963 . Due to his liberal views during the trial of General Mengistu Neway, however, he fell out of favor with Emperor Haile Selassie and then went into self-imposed exile.
After his pardon by the Kaiser, he was Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York City between 1972 and 1974 .
After his return to Ethiopia he was first Minister of the Interior in March 1974 and then from May to September 1974 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the last government of Emperor Haile Selassie. He also held the office of Foreign Minister between September and December 1974 under Haile Selassie's successor Amha Selassie I , but resigned in November 1974 because of the bloody crackdown on protests. After the imperial family was finally disempowered, he went into exile .
Historians and Awards
Gabre-Zelassie was also a recognized historian and connoisseur of Ethiopian history, but also of Christianity in Ethiopia. His best-known specialist books include:
- Yohannes IV of Ethiopia: A political biography. Oxford 1975, ISBN 0-19-821695-5 .
- Eritrea -Ethiopia. In the context of the Red Sea and Africa . Smithsonian Institute , Washington DC
- The Battle of Adwa . Reflections on Ethiopia's Historic Victory against European Colonialism . Co-author, 2005, ISBN 0-87586-414-7 .
- Christian Ethiopia. History, architecture, art. Co-author, 2005, ISBN 3-7954-1541-1 .
He has received several awards for his services and received, among other things, the Grand Cross of the Greek Order of the Phoenix and the command of the Norwegian Order of Saint Olav .
Web links
- Dejazmatch Zewde GebreSelassie passed away. In: Ethopian Review.
- rulers.org
literature
- Teshale Tibebu: The Making of Modern Ethiopia: 1896–1974 . The Red Sea Press, Lawrenceville (NJ) 1995, ISBN 1-56902-000-0 .
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gabre-Selassie, Zewde |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | ሥላሴ (amharic) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Ethiopian politician, diplomat and historian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 13, 1926 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Metcha, Shewa Province |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2008 |