The 78-year-old Ethiopian who had a distinguished career in the local sport and Olympic world has been living in Paris since 1976, although frequently traveling to other parts of the world. He lived in Lausanne Switzerland for 12 years where he was serving as a senior official of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He is now advising the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), working from home doing email and Skype video conferences.
The bespectacled Fekrou lives alone in his Parisian apartment crammed with books, magazines, and newspapers. During my brief hours with him, I saw a ton of notes, drafts, pages of ideas, photos, old newspapers, press passes for the L’Equipe, Deutsche Welle, and Football France on his shelves, the media that he worked for at some point in his life, hundreds of classical jazz CDs and a collection of the songs the 1950s and the 1960s and also Ethiopian folkloric songs. I also saw biographies of Nelson Mandela, and Ethiopian-related books, – from John H. Spencer’s Ethiopia At Bay to Dinaw Mengestu’s novel “The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears”.
Fekrou’s affinity with the world of sport was born at a time when his father, a member of the Saint George club used to transport designated players from school to the playing field. That gave him familiarity with the then-nascent local football game and the players who were reputed for playing hard. Over the years he developed a deep knowledge of the sport and excellent contacts, all of which he brought when he started covering sports events for the local newspapers and Voice of Ethiopia as the first Ethiopian sports journalist in the early 1950s.
In 1957, listeners of Ethiopian radio service witnessed the unique experience of hearing football commentary from the comfort of their own homes, and the honor of being the first commentator of a game fell to Fekrou. It was a match held at Addis Ababa stadium between Ethiopia and Sudan.
Employed by the Ministry of Information, Fekrou also wrote articles for the various outlets of the ministry. This became his niche and he did a lot of freelancing. He covered the general sport for international media like BBC, Voice of America, Voice of Germany, Radio France International, and France Football Weekly, amongst others. Later, the opportunity presented itself to become the first secretary general of the Ethiopian Cycling Federation, Tennis Federation, National Olympic Committee, and public relations officer of the football federation. Fekrou represented someone with a long history of being an independent journalist prior to becoming part of sports federations. He went on to establish the Ethiopian Sports Journalists Association in 1968 at the international level and became his first president. He also served as Secretary General of the African Sports Journalists Union (1970-1974), member of the FIFA Press Committee, director of the executive office of the president of The International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the Department of International Cooperation.
He subsequently developed and established a monthly African sports magazine “Jeux d’Afrique” a publication dedicated to African sports for which he served as editor-in-chief from 1977-1982. The idea for the magazine came as Fekrou saw a need to put African sports on the map with this publication because he noticed that there was a visible lack of a comprehensive sports publication in the African media landscape. Partnering with the Senegalese national, the magazine saw the light of the day with the assistance of L’Equipe, the famous daily sports French newspaper with the highest circulation in France. Unfortunately, the magazine was interrupted due to a disagreement with the partner. Fikrou again established and directed another magazine called Continental Sports magazine and digest newsletter in French and English for worldwide circulation, which lasted from 1982-1989. Fekrou also served as a United Nations staff member in the 1960s.
Fekrou traveled incessantly, visiting around 189 countries. His schedule, like those of many I.O.C. members, was filled with ceremonies, dinners, and traversing the globe. The experience gave him a wider perspective and outlook on life. Among world leaders that he mingled with, Mandela stood out most. Fekrou came to know and befriended the human rights icon. “After Mandela left prison, it was reported that Mandela was tired and needed a vacation. I was then working for IOC. Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the IOL, proposed inviting him to Swiss. Mandela accepted the invitation and I happened to be his host. I’ve had the occasion to chat with him for many hours for five days at his hotel. Mandela has a habit of taking a morning stroll every day. He would get up early in the morning and would walk for two hours. The first day I waited for him wearing a necktie. I walked along with him for two hours,“ he recalled.
Talking about his Parisian life, Fekrou says that it could get lonely for him there and he feels he is a little disconnected from his roots. “The thing is the Ethiopian immigrants in Paris are not numerous. I have only two close friends that I see often. In America, it could have been different. In cities like DC, you would have many compatriots that you would share meals with and swap jokes. It would be easy to immerse yourself in the ways of the old country there.”
Yet he loves Paris. “Paris is a wonderful place to live and work. I don’t know any other city that is so appealing. Every time I go to other places, and come back, I feel that I’ve come to new a city. They’ve got the finest museums and it would take you like two months to visit them all. Plenty of things to see and there are many ordinary buildings which are beautiful pieces of architecture. Being able to walk into a church or chateau that is over 500 or 1000 years old is amazing. Paris has lots of parks, public spaces,” he says.
“They have an amazing public transport system. The metro, trains, and buses are great. You can take a metro anywhere in the city effortlessly,” Fekrou says.
What is his experience as an Ethiopian living in Paris? “There are the ups and the downs when you are living as an immigrant anywhere. When I was in Ethiopia, I studied at a French school. The French language and culture was no stranger to me,” he says. “People in general are friendly. I have developed relationships with people around me. I have my favorite baker, butcher, grocer, market, and restaurant. Of course, it was much easier decades ago when France hasn’t had many immigrants. Now things are getting difficult as the country has welcomed so many immigrants from Africa, and Asia. This has spoiled the locals, “he says. “I understand why. There are many crimes and theft associated with the arrival of the new community. I think much of the bitterness is associated with that. ”
“When choosing places either for food market, I go to places where people aren’t mean to me. Some of them know you and respect you. If the reception is chilly, you go to other places,” he says.
What is his typical day like? “I get up at 5 a.m early in the morning. I listen to the first bulletin of African news on Radio France International at 5.30. At around 6.00 I sit at my computer and read Ethiopian- related news. At 9, 00, I go out for a coffee and look at the French papers. I return home and work. I might also cook lunch. If I have a dinner invitation, I will have a light dinner. Usually, I buy food from Ethiopian restaurants. ”
Fekrou recalled his early refugee days in Paris where he was struggling to meet financial obligations to his son. “When I made it to Paris from Washington D.C in 1970’, I had my twelve year-old-son and 200 dollars. Staying at a hotel I looked for employment and boarding school for my child,” he recalls.
Today his son Stephen (or Didi after the famous Brazilian footballer) is doing good and lives with his wife and two children in Belgium. Stephen’s son Gil is presently at Liege University. Stephan comes every month to visit his father. I met him on his last trip and shared sandwiches with his father and son.
None of the difficulties in his life prevented Fekrou from radiating intense satisfaction at his job. Keeping them in tune will be a challenge he has been preparing for most of his life.
