Ethiopia is one of founding African states of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) (now the African Union) on 25 May 1963 under Emperor Haile Selassie, headquartered in Addis Ababa. At the time the organization evolved up to 54 African states, except Morocco. [1]
Ethiopia played strong stable power in the AU as a driving force of joint UN-AU peacekeeping mission in the regional affairs, particularly in the Horn of Africa. The AU as independent organ, allows Ethiopia to influence its policies, shape and impact continental policies that have bearings internally and regionally. Today, Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is home of major organizations such as African Union, Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and African Standby Force.
In 1961, the Africa Hall was officially inaugurated by Emperor Haile Selassie, designated by architect Arturo Mezzedimi. On 25 May 1963, Haile Selassie invited the heads of the 32 independent African states at the time to convene in Addis Ababa. The conference resulted formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which evolved membership to 54 of 55 member state at the time. Morocco was the only state to decline membership. Haile Selassie delivered speech in the conference: [2]
Only a few years ago, meetings to consider African problems were held outside Africa, and the fate of its peoples were decided by non-Africans. Today, … thanks to the conference of Accra and now of Addis Ababa, the peoples of Africa can, at long last, deliberate on their own problems and future. [1] [3]
In 1994, the OAU committed anti-apartheid measure against the white people in South Africa, who joined he organization in that year—the Pan-African Parliament alternatively has headquarter in Johannesburg and Midrand. Recognizing many shortcomings, the OAU in September 1999 issued the Sirte Declaration, calling for a new body to take its place. In 2000 and 2001, there was discussion regarding the headquarters of newly renamed African Union. [4] On 9 July 2002, the proposal passed and resulted the creation of the African Union, which continue upholding the OAU policy to this date. [1]
Ethiopia occupies strategic missions as a host of the African Union, becoming great power on the continent. Its counterpart, the European Union, sees Ethiopia as a major ally in its attempt to keep African migrants from fleeing to Europe. [4]
Several AU executive bodies, such as Pan-African Parliament, the African Peer Review Mechanism and the New Partnership for Africa's Development secretariat, are based in South Africa; while the African Court on Human and People's Rights based in Gambia; and the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism based on Algiers, Ethiopia arguably maintain headquarter of the organization in Addis Ababa. [4]
Apart from historical birthplace of OAU, Ethiopia also plays frontal role in military policy in the Horn of Africa and as a host to almost 850,000 refugees, mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea. Ethiopia also one of the largest contributor to UN and AU peacekeeping missions around the world, notably in Abyei (bordering Sudan and South Sudan), Darfur, South Sudan and Eritrea. [4] [5] [6]
Ethiopia's policies in the Horn of Africa and to the matter in Africa are not constituting the policy of the AU as well as the AU does not readily aggregate the preference of each member states. Therefore, every AU norms, institution and overlaps as consensus stated in the AU Constitution Act and its various decision and policy making, and implementation organs. As such, the AU offers for member states like Ethiopia to influence and impact on policy internally and regionally.
The special responsibility of the organization worded in FANSPS, which states that "Ethiopia all along steadfastly championed the cause of Africa and Africans dating back to a time when it stood virtually alone." Accordingly, the Ethiopian government sometimes failed to support the Union and lacks self-conprehensive policy toward the AU that clearly articulates the national and regional interests in the AU. Despite failure of these criteria, Ethiopia's commitment, overall direction and contribution have been that of continuity and consistency. [7]
During the 2014–2016 protests, the African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat offered his services to he Government of Ethiopia during series political unrest. After resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in February 2018, Mahamat told that his government sought to "address the challenge that necessarily arise in any endeavor to deepen democracy and advance development. [4] [8] [9]
The foreign relations of Ethiopia refers to overall diplomatic relationship of Ethiopia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees foreign relations and diplomatic missions of the country.
The Organisation of African Unity was an intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments. One of the main heads for OAU's establishment was Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. It was disbanded on 9 July 2002 by its last chairman, South African President Thabo Mbeki, and replaced by the African Union (AU). Some of the key aims of the OAU were to encourage political and economic integration among member states, and to eradicate colonialism and neo-colonialism from the African continent.
Addis Ababa is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. In the 2007 census, the city's population was estimated to be 2,739,551 inhabitants. Addis Ababa is a highly developed and important cultural, artistic, financial and administrative centre of Ethiopia. It also serves as the capital of the Oromia Region.
Addis Ababa University (AAU) is a national university located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the oldest university in Ethiopia. AAU has thirteen campuses. Twelve of these are situated in Addis Ababa, and one is located in Bishoftu, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) away. AAU has several associated research institutions including the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. The Ministry of Education admits qualified students to AAU based on their score on the Ethiopian University Entrance Examination (EUEE).
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti.
Said Djinnit is an Algerian diplomat who has been Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region in Africa since 2014. Previously he served as the Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA).
Ketema Yifru was a prominent Ethiopian diplomat and politician.
Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organization of African Unity on 25 May 1963. [1] It is celebrated in various countries on the African continent as well as around the world.The organization was transformed into the African Union on 9 July 2002, in Durban, South Africa, but the holiday continues to be celebrated on 25 May.
Articles related to Ethiopia include:
The Ethiopian Empire, also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or simply known as Ethiopia was an empire that historically spanned the geographical area of present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea from the establishment of the Solomonic dynasty by Yekuno Amlak approximately in 1270 until the 1974 coup d'etat of Emperor Haile Selassie by the Derg. By 1896, the empire incorporated other regions such as Hararghe, Gurage and Wolayita, and saw its largest expansion with the federation of Eritrea in 1952. Throughout much of its existence, it was surrounded by hostile forces in the African Horn; however, it managed to develop and preserve a kingdom based on its ancient form of Christianity.
Dr. Thomas Alexander Lambie was a missionary medical doctor noteworthy for becoming an Ethiopian citizen, being responsible for several early medical efforts in Ethiopia. He also worked as a medical doctor in Sudan, Nigeria and Palestine, where he died.
The history of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, formally begins with the founding of the city in the 19th century by Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II and his wife Empress Taytu Betul. In its first years the city was more like a military encampment than a town. The central focus was the emperor’s palace, which was surrounded by the dwellings of his troops and of his innumerable retainers. In the 1920s, Addis Ababa experienced a significant economic upturn, marked by a surge in the number of middle-class-owned buildings, including stone houses furnished with imported European furniture. The middle class also introduced newly manufactured automobiles and expanded banking institutions. Urbanization and modernization persisted during the Italian occupation, guided by a masterplan aimed at transforming Addis Ababa into a more "colonial" city, a trajectory that continued beyond the occupation. Subsequent master plans, formulated from the 1940s onward with the input of European consultants, focused on the development of monuments, civic structures, satellite cities, and the inner city.
Ethiopia–Israel relations are foreign relations between Ethiopia and Israel. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations in 1992. Ethiopia has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Israel has an embassy in Addis Ababa. Israel has been one of Ethiopia's most reliable suppliers of military assistance, supporting different Ethiopian governments during the Eritrean War of Independence.
The African Union Conference Center and Office Complex (AUCC) is a building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the headquarters of the African Union and plays host to the biannual AU summits. It also serves as a conference center for African and diaspora businesses. The main building is 99.9 m (328 ft) tall and it is the second tallest building in Addis Ababa. Its cost was US$200 million, and it was mainly funded by the Chinese government.
Africa Hall is the permanent headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The structure, built in the span of only 18 months, was completed in February 1961. It covers an overall area of 75,000 m2, with a usable area of 13,800 m2, consisting of 3,600 m2 of conference halls, 5,500 m2 of offices and 4,700 m2 of general facilities. Its main characteristic is represented by the “continuous spaces” of the internal layout. Ten years later, in 1971, work was commenced on a project funded by the United Nations to extend the structure, which was completed in 1975. It consists of a block of 800 new offices, a 6-storey building to house the huge library and other buildings for general facilities. This extension work added a further 130,000 m2.
Ethiopia–Sudan relations date back to antiquity. One of Ethiopia's principal trade routes ran west to Sudan and then to Egypt and the Mediterranean. Muslim merchants from Sudan have been an important part of Ethiopia's trade for many centuries.
Alem Bekagn, or 'Kerchele Prison', was a central prison in Ethiopia until 2004. Located in Addis Ababa, the prison possibly existed as early as 1923, under the reign of Empress Zewditu, but became notorious after Second Italo-Ethiopian War as the site where Ethiopian intellectuals were detained and killed by Italian Fascists in the Yekatit 12 massacre. After the restoration of Emperor Haile Selassie, the prison remained in use to house Eritrean nationalists and those involved in the Woyane rebellion. Under the Communist Derg regime that followed, the prison was the site of another mass killing, the Massacre of the Sixty, and of the torture and execution of rival groups in the Red Terror. The prison remained a site of human rights abuses until the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front entered Addis Ababa on 28 May 1991, after which it became a normal prison. The prison was closed in 2004 and demolished in 2007 to allow the construction of the headquarters of the African Union.
The Ethiopia–South Sudan border stretches 1,114 kilometers from the tripoint of Sudan in the northern beginning of the Illemi Triangle disputed area between Kenya and South Sudan. The border was created by the sphere of influence of British colonial administration in May 1902, creating Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. It shares projecting border via Gambela Region of Ethiopia with 543 miles. Livelihood in this area often subjected exclusion from political, economic and other development associations as there is prevalence of armed insurgent groups like Gambela People's Liberation Movement, which engage in illicit trade, child abduction, cattle rustling and arm smuggling.
Opposition to Haile Selassie relied largely of internal administration of his country. While Haile Selassie made attempt to modernize the country and brought to global power since Italy's occupation in 1936–41, the later administration met with negative public attitude especially among educated people in universities and peasants.
This is a chronology of the lifetime of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.
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