Abiye Abebe
| Lij Abiye Abebe | |
|---|---|
| File:Abiye Abebe.jpg | |
| Born | 1918 [1] |
| Died | 23 November 1974 (aged 55-56) Addis Ababa |
| Spouse | Princess Tsehai Woizero Amarech Nasibu |
| Father | Liqa Mequas Abebe Atnaf Seggad |
| Religion | Orthodox Christianity |
Lieutenant-General Lij Abiye Abebe, KBE,[2] (1918 – 23 November 1974) was an Ethiopian politician and son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Biography
Son of Liqa Mequas Abebe Atnaf Seggad, Abye was born 1918 in Addis Ababa as a Lij.[3] He attended the Holeta Military Academy.[4] In the 1940s and 1950s he was Minister of Defence, and later served as Minister of Justice and Minister of the Interior.[5] He chaired the High National Security Commission during the Ethiopian Revolution until his arrest by the Derg 16 July 1974.[6] Lt. General Abiye was serving as Chief of the General Staff when he was arrested.
According to John Spencer, when Prime Minister Aklilu Habte-Wold sought to resign his post in 1973, he suggested to the Emperor that he be replaced by General Abiye. Other sources indicate that Aklilu Habte-Wold's rival Prince Asrate Kassa was the person who put General Abiye forward as a fellow aristocrat. However Abiye consented to becoming Prime Minister only if his nomination, and those of his cabinet, were approved by the Ethiopian parliament, a condition Emperor Haile Selassie found unacceptable. As a result, Haile Selassie decided to appoint Endelkachew Makonnen Prime Minister instead.[7] Abiye was one of 60 former government officials executed the night of 22–23 November at Akaki Central Prison by the Derg.[8]
General Abiye was married three times. At Addis Ababa, on 26 April 1942, he married Princess Tsehai of Ethiopia who died in childbirth a year later. Subsequent to this marriage Lt. General Abiye Abebe wa accorded the dignities and protocol rank of the Emperor's son-in-law, even after he remarried. In 1946, married Woizero Amarech Nasibu, and then later to Woizero Tsige, his widow.
Career
- Brigadier-General (26/04/1942).
- Governor General of Wollega (1942-1943).
- Minister for War 1949-1955 (Acting 1943-1947).
- Minister of Justice (1958-1961).
- Minister of Interior (1961-1974).
- Ambassador to France (1955-1958).
- Viceroy of Eritrea (1959-1961).
- President of the Senate (1964-1974).
- Minister for Defence and Chief of Staff (28/02/1974-22/07/1974).
Honours
National honours
- Grand Cross of the Order of Menelik II.
- St George Medal of War.
- Haile Selassie Gold Medal 1st class.
- Patriot Medal & three torches (1944).
- Refugee Medal (1944).
- Jubilee Medal (1955).
- Jubilee Medal (1966).
Foreign honours
- Knight Gran Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (Kingdom of Norway, January 1956).
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Legion of Honour (French Republic).
- Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sahametrei (Kingdom of Cambodia, 4 January 1968).
- British Star (United Kingdom, 1939-1945).
- Africa Star (United Kingdom, 1940-1943).
- British War Medal (United Kingdom, 1939-1945).
References
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- ↑ Bahru Zewde, A History of Modern Ethiopia, second edition (London: James Currey, 2003), p. 205
- ↑ Andargachew Tiruneh, The Ethiopian revolution, 1974-1987 (Cambridge: University Press, 1993), p. 68
- ↑ Spencer, Ethiopia at Bay: A personal account of the Haile Selassie years (Algonac: Reference Publications, 1984), p. 337
- ↑ Marina and David Ottaway, Ethiopia: Empire in Revolution (New York: Africana, 1978), p. 61
