Recently, Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) has held a recognition ceremony for its former staff members who left the Agency in pension and for different reasons. Among the staff members recognized were prominent journalists.
This event and also the month of February take us back to remember another prominent and well known former staff of EPA Writer and Journalist, Bealu Girma. He was a journalist, novelist and government official of his time. Even though he is a son of Indian father and Ethiopian mother, no one can question his loyalty to Ethiopia and his sentiment on national pride; of course he dedicated his whole life serving the nation until his death.
He is well known for his book titled ‘Oromay’ and also believed that it is this book brought him to his mysterious death after his kidnap in February 1984. There are different investigative works conducted on Bealu Girm’s life and death trying to answer questions including who kidnapped and assassinated him and why. Writer Endalegeta Kebede is one of the notable persons dedicated himself in the investigation of life and the secret of Bealu’s death. He produced a book of 440 pages, in Amharic with the title of ‘Bealu Girma, his life and works.’
As of Endalegeta’s book, Bealu was born in 1935 G.C (1928 E.C), at Supe, small town in Ilubabor, western Ethiopia. However, there are other sources claiming different but closer periods regarding his birth date. Supe was where he had spent about ten years of his early childhood life before coming to Addis Ababa on the request of his father aiming to send him to school here in Addis.
Even though Bealu’s biological father was Jimnadas, Girma took him as his own son, brought him up with his children and sent him to school in Addis Ababa. Sources indicate that after coming from Supe at about age of ten, he attended Princess Zenebewerk Boarding School, where he accomplished his primary and secondary education. Getting done his primary and secondary school, Bealu joined General Wingate School and then he had joined Addis Ababa University for his first degree education in the department of Social Science and Journalism, as Fentahun Engida uttered in his Amharic book of ‘Dictionary of Historical People.’
As of Endalegeta’s investigation, friends of Bealu have witnessed that during his college time, Bealu was known for his cool tempered and reserved personality. He used to write on the University College’s newspapers.
Among other things Bealu and his friends had owned a weekly informal sort of newspaper which they used to post on the college’s notice board with writings on different stimulus national issues. Bealu was graduated from Haile Selassie University College, now Addis Ababa University in 1962 and immediately hired in the Ministry of Information where he passed much of his professional career. Bealu had served under this office as a reporter of National Radio for short period until he went to US for scholarship education he was granted from Michigan State University, where he had done his Master’s degree in Political Science and Journalism. Getting back to his homeland, Bealu started his job within the same Ministry but at different position and offices.
First he became Editor in Chief of Menen Magazine. He also worked as chief editor of Addis Reporter newspaper. During these periods, the government suspended him from job for six months, because of the revolutionary writings his periodicals entertain. It is during this period he wrote his first book titled `KeAdmas Bashager`. Then after Bealu had been working as Editor in chief of `Yezareyitu Ethiopia`, The Ethiopian Herald and `Addis Zemen` newspapers. Following the revolution that replaced the regime of Emperor Haile Sellasie with military junta known as ‘Derg’ which later led by Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, Bealu had continued his work with very close relationship with Mengistu.
It is believed that Bealu was among the advisors of Mengistu and he was accounted to prepare Mengistu’s public speeches. During the declaration of ‘Operation Red Star,’ made against Secessionist Forces of Eritirea, Bealu was there with Mengistu Haile Mariam. And it is during this period he wrote his last novel titled `Oromay`. Though the book was novel, it is a great work in systematically diagnosing the Derg regime’s major national systemic, officials’ problems and plots.
As many believed that, it requires strong audacity to write such kind of book under absolute dictatorship regime like Derg. However, as his friend writer and journalist Sibehat Nega narrates in his biography written by Zenebe Wela, even though the danger has to come as a risk of his book is not hidden from Bealu’s mind; it is believed that he put strong confidence on his relation with Mengistu. However, this could not work as his expectation. Bealu’s last work `Oromay` was prohibited from the circulation, and even recollected from the market and readers and burned.
In the meantime on August 1983, Bealu was fired from his office which was key position under Ministry of Information. Subsequently, for about seven months, Bealu had become jobless and just waiting for what could happen to him. On Thursday February 14, 1984, at about 5:30 pm, Bealu went out from his home to meet his friend. And that moment had become the last day he was seen by his family.
He didn’t return back to home. After days long search his family found his car parked sideways at Debrezeit Road. Even though the government denied, many believed that Bealu was kidnapped and assassinated by the absolute dictatorship government of Derg.
The very recent investigative work of Endalegeta Kebede, also confirmed that Bealu was in prison of Derg. However, despite more than three and plus decades have passed and many of Derg officials were freed from prison, no official or ordinary military member of the time speak out how and when was Bealu’s death. It remained hidden secret till today. The vigorous novelist Bealu left us about six novels that are loved by readers until today and he was a father of a daughter and two sons.
Herald February 26/2019
BY YOSEF KETEMA
