Haile Selassie and the failed vision of a united Africa
Haile Selassie, the King of Ethiopia, ruled for eight years from 1928 until 1936, when Italy conquered Ethiopia and Selassie was forced to flee abroad. On the 30th of June 1936, while in exile, Selassie spoke to the League of Nations expressing the reasons of his leaving his country to live in exile, and his great hope of the empire’s survival under occupation. He said: “…We have decided to bring to an end the most unequal, most unjust, most barbarous war of our age, and have chosen the road to exile in order that our people will not be exterminated and in order to consecrate ourselves wholly and in peace to the preservation of our empire’s independence…”
When the British and its allies triumphed in World War II, Selassie returned to Ethiopia in 1941 and in January 1942 he was reinstated to power by the British government. As the Emperor of Ethiopia, his foreign policy became strongly hinged on the pan-African movement to unite Africa.
Slumbering giant
As a leader of one of the free nations in Africa he directed his colleagues that “…African leaders should “arouse the slumbering giant of Africa, not to the nationalism of Europe in the nineteenth century, not to regional consciousness, but to the vision of a single African brotherhood…”
On the 25th of May 1963, believing in the unity of Africa, Emperor Selassie in collaboration with other leaders of free African nations e partook in the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Selassie became the first president of the organisation. For a decade until 1974, Haile Selassie led the pursuit for African unity through the OAU.
Unfortunately, on the 12th of September1974, before his dream of One Africa was realised he was overthrown by a military coup, marking the end of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia. Ethiopia was now governed by a military junta under the leadership of Dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. Emperor Haile Selassie died on the 26th of August 1975, although many Rastafarians who regard him as the symbol for God-incarnate in Africa, claim that he is still alive.
Though Haile Selassie did not last in the struggle for the unification of Africa, his pan-African beliefs were extraordinary, and today Africa lives to remember this great king. The acceptance speech as the first president of the OAU that Selassie delivered at the 1st OAU Summit in Addis Ababa became the cornerstone and a living hope for the dream of a United Africa. The speech characterised him as a steadfast pan-African leader to be cherished forever.
Based on the forementioned iconic speech, we recount his hopes of journeying to the Promised Land (United States of Africa). Delighted on the day the OAU was formed he stated: “…This is indeed a momentous and historic day for Africa and for all Africans…. Africa is today at midcourse, in transition from the Africa of Yesterday to the Africa of Tomorrow…”
Although Selassie rejoiced in the coming of a new Africa, he knew the OAU was only a beginning that needed to be nurtured to maturity by first liberating all nations that were still under colonial rule. He said: “…Africa’s victory, although proclaimed, is not yet total, and areas of resistance still remain. Today, we name as our first great task, the final liberating of those Africans still dominated by foreign exploitation and control. With the goal in sight, and unqualified triumph within our grasp, let us not now falter or lag or relax....”
Peaceful accession
He reiterated that freedom was meaningless if all Africa was not free: “…Our liberty is meaningless unless all Africans are free. Our brothers in the Rhodesias, in Mozambique, in Angola, in South Africa, cry out in anguish for our support and assistance. We must urge on their behalf their peaceful accession to independence. We must align and identify ourselves with all aspects of their struggle. It would be betrayal were we to pay only lip service to the cause of their liberation and fail to back our words with action…”
Dr Kafumu is the Member of Parliament for Igunga Constituency
