Tefera Shawl Kidanekale was born and raised in Menagesha Town of Showa some 78 years ago. He then attended primary school education at Debre-Berhan town and went to Debre-Zeit, where he completed primary and secondary school education. He then joined the college to study arts. While studying there, the then Haile-Selassie University was opened. Meanwhile, Bisrate Wongel radio station was launched.
The station received him as he has an attractive voice than his competitors. When he joined the station, he was introduced well to the broadcast journalism genre. He had been producing news and short stories convenient to radio listeners. Both diplomacy and journalism are the two fields that seek love and professionalism. While he was working, the grandson of Bismarck came to Ethiopia, as he was studying German in the Cultural Institute; he talked to the guest in Deutsch. As soon as he returned to Germany, the grandson of Bismarck sent a scholarship and invitation paper to take Tefera to Bonn. Accordingly, he went there.
One day, his friends told him that the director of Deutsche Welle need him to accomplish the plan of opening an Amharic radio programme. Ambassador Aseffa Lema, helped them to communicate with the radio station Tefera. He was the only person to start the Amharic programme in DW station. He assembled his friends and trained how to report news and prepare programmes thereby opening the Amharic programme.
The messengers of the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) bombed a plane stationed at Frankfurt airport. Even if the plane was not that affected, they were able to articulate who they were. During this time, he returned home and served as a manager of Bisrate Wongel radio station. In the middle, he was assigned as the first secretary of Emperor Hailesellase I in Bonn. He then tried to improve the skill and enthusiasm he had for diplomacy through scaling up his education status. He then transferred to Sudan and served as the first executive secretary of the king.
Then, the military junta overthrew the king from his throne. Some people advised him to return home and serve the then foreign Ministry. He also served in a think-tank group which was established to follow up the issue of Eritrea. He was jailed for three years as he had good work relations with General Teferi Benti. Later on, they told him that some of the prisoners were erroneously imprisoned and asked them in what way they can serve the country. Finally, the regime sent him to Moscow to study how a new party could be established.
When he served there, he believed the issue of Eritreans should be treated brotherly. Those who heard this from the horse’s mouth told their bosses and they immediately threw him to the Tourism Commission. Due to the famine in Ethiopia, in 1974, the commission was in a very difficult situation to introduce the tourism potential of Ethiopia to the rest of the world. When he was in the USA for the sake of tourism promotion, the phone call came while holding a message from the Chairman of the Drge to return home as soon as possible. The derg assigned him to serve as chairman of the Ethiopian Red Cross Association. He together with others colleagues, toured Europe and collected and provided assistance for the people starving at home.
Looking at the achievement, the Derg officials assigned him to serve as Ambassador to East Germany. When East and West Germany were united, he was an ambassador of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Holland. During this time, TPLF had controlled the whole of Ethiopia. After six months, they called us back home and served as press attaché in the foreign ministry. In 1990, they gave him a letter of departure and forced him to resign. Afterwards, he worked in a range of international organizations such as the UN, AU, and GIZ etc. He is a father of three. The Ethiopian Herald had a short stay with him on the current imposition of the western powers in the horn of Africa and related issues. Excerpts;
Would you please tell us about the interest of world powers in East Africa?
That is a good question. For 100 years, East Africa has been an issue of contention. If we try to include Egypt, Kadif Ismail, the ruler of the country, tried to invade Ethiopia hiring American mercenaries but Ethiopia dismissed all. Emperor Yohannes IV also died to protect the country’s sovereignty from warriors. Then the fascist Italians invaded Ethiopia after they carefully studied the country’s resources potential. The country defended them well even if they came two times. Another invasion had come from eastern Ethiopia via the Somali state.
Second, the horn is conformable to logistics. If you open a factory or establish any business it is central to communicate one with the other.
Third, Americans are exaggerating the geopolitical estimates and threats. They said, “we have a national security threat”. Or they said “we need to educate democracy. “They are involved in the issue of a given country but not to teach democracy. While they leave Afghanistan, they said “We are entering Afghanistan because of security threat not to teach them democracy. They did not repeat what they said yesterday. I served in the east Africa centre of peace and security based in Nairobi. Once upon a time, an English general came to me and said, “You Ethiopians disregard us. We have the same outlook with ourselves but you need to give much respect that we have” “But we are all human beings I said to him” He replied to me that we give you donation. I said “we spill our blood and flesh to ensure your security by protecting the red sea corridor” Unfortunately, the ambassador of the UK had listened to me. He said; what he said is true.
The sense of freedom we have is a model for others. Since the establishment of the African Union, the rest of the African countries are taking Ethiopia as a good model. This is the scenario that buys the enemy even if we accept it with greater happiness. We fought for freedom and we enabled our brothers (African countries enjoy freedom). They need to hold the highest share of the economy. We have resisted them. They failed to achieve the target set out of the countries such as Somalia, Yemen and now in Afghanistan with great shame and humiliation.
The second thing is, Ethiopia has never been invading any country. They know it. However, the world powers tried to invade Ethiopia many times.
If so, what is the destiny of Ethiopia in this regard?
The only option Ethiopia has is establishing unity through great enthusiasm, love, respect and brotherhood, forgiveness and inclusive politics. In this regard, the country may face some people who disrupt the scenario. It is important to shape them through the law of the land.
How do you observe the current imposition of the western powers? Are they wanted to apply modern slavery over Ethiopia? How do you see it?
Yes. They are intervening in our internal affairs. They want to put a puppet government which they sway with remote control.
I am sure you are attentively listening to the summit of the UN Security Council on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)? Is the grand renaissance dam a security threat for downstream countries?
This is an argument far from reality. The dam will never be a security issue for downstream countries. Sudan used to be exposed to floods and many people were internally displaced exactly before the construction of the dam was being introduced. I worked in Sudan as a diplomat for a year and a half. I have seen that they often change stances. So we have to retain our stance. Omar al Basher is the only Sudanese official who understands the significance of the dam for declining flood and security threats. He is the one who decided to buy electricity from Ethiopia and encourage the construction of the dam.
On one hand, they need to supply electricity for them but they talk about the absence of water. On the other hand, they have been talking about floods and the displacement of people. No one clearly understands the true stance of neighbouring Sudan. The reality is the water will flow to Sudan after hitting the electric turbine. Even if Ethiopia generates and contributes 86 per cent of the Nile waters, she does not want to use the water in a way significantly harming the downstream countries. The dam is constructed to release water at times downstream countries that have been facing extreme water shortages. Thus, it will serve them as a water pond. The western powers are required to destabilize Ethiopia by igniting war with Egypt and Sudan.
Since the coming to power of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, countries in the horn begin to integrate. Is this another factor that entices western powers to destabilize Ethiopia?
This is not the only factor. The geopolitical structure of the horn is being changed. Here, in Africa, various tasks have been done to integrate the continent and unite IGAD and inter Africa parliaments, trade, money, visa-free zone etc like that of the European Union.
Thank you very much!
You are welcome
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
