Ketema Yifru

Ketema Yifru (12 December 1929 – 14 January 1994) was a prominent Ethiopian diplomat and politician.

16th Foreign Minister of Ethiopia

Born by the slopes of Mount Gara Muleta, Harerghe province of Eastern Ethiopia, Ketema rose to the highest levels of Emperor Haile Selassie's government, including Foreign Minister between 1961 and 1970. He was a son of a farmer in rural Gara Muleta. He was among the very few young Ethiopians of farmer family background to rise to the position of high government rank through his educational achievement. He played an important role in the forming of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor of the present-day African Union.

^ Education Hope College, United States of America, 1948-1951 Bachelor of Arts. Boston University, United States of America, 1951-1952, Master of Arts in Political science and International relations. Spoken languages: Amharic , English, French, Italian.

^ Careers
Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism, Ethiopia, 1972-1974. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia, 1961-1972.  Private Secretary to Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopia, 1958-1961.

Area Director for Eastern Africa, World Food Program since 1989. Africa Policy Advisor, World Food Programme, 1985-1989.

Ketema also served in several ministries in the Aklilu Habte-Wold government. He was imprisoned without charge by the Derg regime form 1974-1982. Following his release, Ketema Yifru accepted a senior position with the United Nations agency, the World Food Programme. He died on January 14, 1994, in Addis Ababa, from pancreatic cancer. He was survived by his widow, Woizero Rahel Senegiorgis, and their four sons.

Honours

• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands, 04/02/1969).
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain, 27/04/1971).

Sources

• Aberra Jembere: "Kätäma Yefru", in: S. Uhlig (ed.): Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 3 (2007).

External links

• OAU

See also

• List of honorary British knights and dames