Last Sunday, the African Union unveiled the statue of Emperor Haile Selassie I in the AU headquarters compound in Addis Ababa. The statue which was built in recognition of the remarkable role the emperor played in the realization of the Organization of African Union in 1963 was inaugurated by Chairperson of African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Ghana’s President Nana Addo Danakwa AkufoAddo and Ruwanda’s Paul Kagame at the presence of other heads of states and relatives of the emperor.
Indeed, honoring the leadership legacy of the emperor after more than half a century is the prudent indication that the contribution of the emperor has a lasting effect on Africa. He was among the key African leaders who founded the Organization of the African Unity which through time became African Union. During his leadership, Ethiopia was not colonized and he was also credited for supporting some African countries to gain independence.
As soon as these nations started gaining independence, the necessity of assembling them was conceived by Haileselassie so that their influence would increase in the world affairs. Nevertheless, uniting the nations was not an easy task since they were divided desperately by the evil tactics of the colonizers. Here, the diplomatic effort and organizational skills of the then Ethiopian king Emperor Hailesilassie brought the intended unity to the successful accomplishment.
Leading a lot of series of discussions that would handle varied ideas and diversified cultures, the king along with other leaders of Africa was able to bring the nations to unity and form the organization. The formation of the organization was really a great stride for African nations to stand together as one voice and withstand the evil strategies of their oppressors. Hence, the emperor’s contribution for Africa is supremely crucial and useful.
Unfortunately, most Africans of this generation may not have adequate knowledge on the history of Emperor Haileselassie since the regimes that came after his demise consistently for more than three decades deconstructed the legacy the king left behind. The number of overwhelming reforms he had introduced to improve the lives of his people and the status of his nation in the world arena were obscured by the following leaders.
His far sighted attitude and inconceivable ideas during his days that led Ethiopia’s modernity were mercilessly destroyed in the last three decades. One of the evidences that reveal the stand of previous leaders on the subject was while African Unity erected a statue in remembrance of the contribution of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana’s Former President in the same compound some years, the then Ethiopian leaders did not argue for the necessity of building statue for Hailesilassie.
Under his leadership, Ethiopia had excelled in its foreign relations with the west as well as the east. Ambassador Zewude Reta in one of his books stated that Ethiopia experienced unparalleled foreign relations and internal peace and stability because of the skillful leadership of the emperor. Cognizant on his exemplary contribution in advancing Africa, erecting statue to remember his lasting legacy is one of the best decision of the AU.
This can have a great deal of contribution for this generation and the one to come. For instance, besides helping the ethical leaders to maintain good conscience and serve with passion, it will also inspire the potential leaders in the coming generation.
In short, recognizing what the leader accomplished and ensuring the continuity of his or her leadership legacy brings honor to the generations and delights to his relatives illuminating the present and future.
The Ethiopian Herald, February 12/2019
