A statue of Emperor Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia and a longtime ruler who served from 1930 until his overthrow by the Marxist regime in 1974, was unveiled outside the African Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa on Sunday. The Emperor, who garnered an image of an elder statesman and leader of Africa, is being honoured with the statue 45 years after his death.
The unveiling ceremony of the statute was attended by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo and Rwandan president Paul Kagame.
Cast in bronze, the 3 metre statue shows the Emperor making his signature hand sign with the thumb and index finger in a triangular shape. Created by three Ethiopian artists, Bekele Mekonnen, Mesfin Tesfaye and Henock Azene under the auspices of the Addis Ababa University’s Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, the statue recognises “the Emperor’s contribution to Africa’s liberation and unity leading up to the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963”, the African Union said in a press release. The Emperor is also credited for bringning Ethiopia into the League of Nations and the United Nations and making Addis Ababa the major centre for the African Union.
Emperor Haile Selassie and Ghanaian president Kwame Nkruhuma promoted Pan-Africanism and African unity and spearheaded the creation of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963. Though a statue was unveiled for Nkruhuma on February 2012, Emperor Haile Selassie was conspicuously ignored, provoking the ire of many Ethiopians. A petition demanding that a statue of Nkruhuma be joined by Emperor Haile Selassie has been launched since then.
Photo courtesy of Desta Meghoo
Great. This was long overdue due to the pathetic jealousy of the previous regime of TPLF
This man is a tyrant, despot who was condemned by the people of Ethiopia and deposed.
A criminal for Ethiopians cannot be a hero for Africa.
He blackmailed Lij Iyasu as a Muslim who allied with Ottoman Turks which incensed the British and Ethiopian Orthodox Church and crowned in his place.
He instituted feudalism in Ethiopia; rist sytem in the north and gebbar or chisenga system in the south. 4/5th of Ethiopia’s farmable land belonged to his monarchy and the so called nobles and 1/4 of it belonged to the Orthdoox Church. Ethiopian farmers were made landless during his long misrule.
He was never a front line advocate for African unity and decolonization. He was a follower, at best, and a CIA messenger no doubt. Illiterate other than knowing how to speak French, he was least educated of all African leaders. It is an honor he does not deserve to hang his photo with the photos of Knwame Nkruma, Gamal Abdle Naser, Ahmed Ben bella, Leopold Seda Sengor, Felix Houphete Boigny on the walls of the AU.
AU cannot honor a criminal Ethiopians condemned. Otherwise, AU is out of touch with the feeling of the people on the ground and therefore useless.
I am afraid that your limited knowledge of political science and history is taking you directly to your “grave ” where you really belong. We talk about OAU !!! Wake Up
AHMEDEEN SAEED is the voice of Meles Zenawi from the region of the dead.
You are totally ignorant of King Haile Selassie’s accomplishments and equally ignorant of the history of the Throne. You are one of many who continue to manufacture lies against His Majesty…ignorance is not bliss as they say…it is sad for people who think they know…and know not that they know not. Wolette Selassie
Yeap.It was a new colonial sponsored leadership under President Bush spearheaded by Ambassador Herman Cohen. It made my Persian cat laughs. Who was Robert Napier’s willing-accomplices during the Battle of Magdala and, joined the force of evil to suppress the independent movement of Sudan during the Madhya. One does not have to inquire the foremost Tigryan historian professor Geberu Tarekegn to ask this pesky question. For Nelson Mandela had explained in his book the glory of Ethiopia under Selassie’s leadership so much so that one does not have to puke, puke hearing TPLF clap trap.
We had two Ethiopian leaders maybe three if one counts Haile Mariam after Haile Selass government was overthrown. By any stretch of imagination had been worst than the latter leaders. Mengestu has killed in hundreds of thousand, Meles kill no less — so except religious fanatics and ethic politicians no one deny Haile Selasse send all Ethiopian kids to school, made a huge contribution in the establishment of OAU and countless Others. But there seems to be no cure for hate. Socrates said that no one can harm a good man. He is standing 9feet tall , while others will be buried 9feet under, and no one will remember who they are — they will be just a side note.
I couldn’t agree more with you. Meles didn’t kill people while robbing and killing Ethiopia for the glory of Tigray. More seriously, he was the only person in a position of leadership who didn’t overcome his extreme narrow Tigryan nationalism. One gets the unwarranted impression it is a genetic trait or affliction.