Many were the months which my father, H.H. Ras Makonnen, had to spend travelling to Addis Ababa and on military expeditions to other provinces of Ethiopia-more, in fact, than he was able to remain in his own governorate of Harar. He also went to foreign countries as envoy of the government. Here are some of the journeys undertaken by my father: in 1881 (= 1888/9) he was sent to Italy; in 1888 (= 1895/6), during the Alage campaign, he conducted the military expedition as Commander-in-Chief and was accompanied by Ras Wale, Ras Mika’el, Ras Mangasha Atikam, Ras Alula, Dejatch Walde, Fitawrari Gabayahu, Fitawrari Takle, Liqa Makwas Adnaw, and Qagnazmatch Taffasa; in 1890 (= 1897/8) he undertook a campaign in western Ethiopia, at the Sudan border, into what is called Arab country; this is the region nowadays referred to as Beni Shangul. In 1891 (= 1898/9), since it had been reported that Ras Mangasha, the Governor of the Tigre province, had rebelled against Emperor Menelik, Ras Makonnen was despatched into Tigre and brought about a reconciliation between Mangasha and the Emperor. Subsequently, in order to safeguard the security of the province-just as he had done when he occupied Harar-he remained in charge of Tigre for about two years and then returned. In 1894 (= 1902) he was sent to England for the coronation of King Edward VII. In addition to all this, it was he who had to carry out and to conclude the whole business of relations with foreign countries which is nowadays undertaken by Ministers of Foreign Affairs. And consequently he had to go to and fro to Addis Ababa each year being summoned to consult with Emperor Menelik about every important matter as yet undecided, after correspondence by post and conversations by telephone. As the railway did not yet exist as it does today, the journey by slow march from Harar to Addis Ababa took a month. Since my father had seen European civilization, having been to Europe twice, and since he was convinced of the value of education, through conversing with some of the foreigners who had come to Ethiopia, he strongly desired that I should learn from them a foreign language. My father had established a hospital in his city of Harar and had brought into his employment a gentleman from the French colony of Guadeloupe, a physician by the name of Dr. Vitalien. With this object in mind, my father arranged that the doctor should teach us French an hour or so a day when he could be spared from curing the sick; and so we began our lessons. My father had a strong desire to see the people get accustomed to the work of civilization which he had observed in Europe and to make a start in his governorate. It was for this reason that he had established the first hospital in his city of Harar. A year after my father’s death the French Government purchased this hospital, by the following accord, from Menelik II for 50,000 francs. The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie I: My Life and Ethiopias Progress 1892-1937”
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 07:36:30 +0000
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