ADDIS ABABA— The late Major General Gezae, who was shot dead with the Ethiopian Military Chief General Seare Mekonen, here in Addis reportedly in connection with the recent coup attempt in the Amhara State government in Bahir Dar was born in the town of Aksum, Central Zone of Tigray State in 1961.
The late General was acknowledged by many as the engineer of logistics in the Ethiopian National Defense Forces that enables the army to emerge victorious in several operations including those undertaken under the umbrella of the UNs and AU’s peacekeeping missions.
He joined Abrha-We-Atsbha School and completed his primary education and his secondary education at Axum High School in the stated town. In 1976, he joined the armed struggle in Tigray against the military dictatorship ‘Derg’.
From 1977 to 1979, he worked at the Central Bureau of Economic Affairs, in the Tigray People Libation Front (TPLF). He started to organize the army to carry out their own missions based on own capacity and logistics free from external dependency. He was one of the forerunners of the TPLF who took the lead and guided by new thinking and attitude and took advantage of their successes.
From 1996 to 1997, he was appointed as the head of the army logistics in Western Tigray Division, to provide complete material and armament required by the army. After that, the military has been able to carry out continuous battles in the 1990s, Major Gen. Gezai was behind all the battles. He got involved in supplying, the necessary logistics and transportation required to complete a series of unthinkable war fronts.
During
the period 1985-to-1988, he played an important role in the formation of a
guiding military doctrine that TPLF troops had
been using
during the two decades struggle. He played a role in improving their military
science and art of war. His new military
science formula was a form of thought that enabled the armed struggle to
successively defeat the Derg regime and fully free Tigray in the 1990s.
From May 1981 to 1983, there was an extensive fighting in the warfronts from Haiq to North Shoa, from South Wollo to South Gondor, where the logistics support of the late General was incredibly decisive, intricate and supportive to the TPLF forces. In the complicated situation, he played great role by providing leadership and logistics. Consequently the army achieved a great victory.
After the defeat of the Derg regime in 1991, he played unforgettable role in the reorganization of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, with the creation of a new policy, guiding principles, manuals, regulations and guidelines to modernize the logistics and supply system of the army.
Thus, this helped the preparation and implementation of the missions of the army to be carried out effectively. Apart from the military, he also established the Public Servants Transport Services Agency aiming at easing the life of civil servants.
He received Bachelor of Arts in Logistics Management at an American University, Masters Degree in Business Administration at Open University of London and second Masters Degree in Logistics Management at Anfield University.
The late General, in addition, has organized a series of directives on ways of modernizing the Ethiopian maritime transport system. He played his heroic leadership role as member of the Ethiopian Military Council and National Security Council till his death following the orchestrated attack to kill the Chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces General Seare Mekonen aged 58. Gezai is survived by a wife, four sons and a daughter.
The Ethiopian Herald, June 30/2019
BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
