Category: Statements

Rwanda’s King Kigeli V, the Umwami w’u Rwanda, and current head of a dynasty which goes back in an unbroken line to the year 1081 (Western calendar), is seen here (right of picture) meeting with Ethiopian Crown Council President Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie at the Strategy ’98 dinner in Washington DC on October 6, 1998.

Both Prince Ermias and His Majesty are wearing decorations awarded by the International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA), a worldwide NGO for senior government officials involved in national policy and strategic affairs. King Kigeli was awarded the ISSA Gold Medal Award for Outstanding Contributions to Strategic Progress for Humanitarian Achievements for 1998. This recognized the King’s work to warn the world of the impending genocides in Rwanda over the past decade.

Prince Ermias is wearing the ISSA medal he was awarded in 1997 for his work in attempting to draw international attention to the plight of Ethiopian refugees, who are often in difficult conditions in remote parts of the world. Prince Ermias has travelled extensively throughout Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East, and has met with dozens of heads-of-state, heads-of-government and senior government officials during the past three years to raise the awareness of the needs of the Ethiopian refugee communities in their midst.

Prince Ermias is also wearing the Battle of Adwa Centenary Medal, issued by the Crown Council to recognize the great victory by the forces of his kinsmen, Emperor Menelik II, over the Italians in 1896. The medal is being re-struck (see story, page seven) to recognize Ethiopian patriots and supporters of Ethiopia to recognize the 103rd anniversary of the battle this month.

Both Prince Ermias and King Kigeli spoke at the big Strategy’98 conference, the Global Strategic Forum, about the strategic situations in their respective countries. As well, both participated in a special briefing to the United States Congress in September, and then again to the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee on October 14.

The briefing to the Senate was held in the rarely-used Senate Treaty Room, the ornate and beautifully-decorated chamber used by the Senate to greet heads-of-state and special dignitaries.

It was at the Senate briefing that Prince Ermias repeated the offer — initially made at Strategy’98 — for the Crown Council to act as a mediating, or conflict resolution, body for the Ethiopia-Eritrea dispute. At the time, Prince Ermias warned that not only would the conflict worsen if not resolved, it would also create animosities within the Ethiopian family of nations which would take generations to heal.

Neither party to the conflict was, at that time, disposed to consider a resolution to the conflict which did indeed worsen.

King Kigeli also discussed, at the conference, the seemingly intractable civil war situation in his country. Discussions are now underway to try to get the King’s return to Rwanda by modifying the colonial constitution (left to the state by the Belgians) to allow his return, where he is seen as the only national unifying figure capable of bringing about reconciliation between the three major groups in Rwanda: the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa.

The ISSA Awards automatically invested both leaders as Life Members of the prestigious association, which is involved in global conflict resolution studies.

The organization, Moa Anbessa: Ethiopians for a Constitutional Monarchy, has been formally separated from the Ethiopian Crown, which helped bring it to life, so that it can become an independent political party inside and outside Ethiopia. Moa Anbessa — the Conquering Lion — was formed by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Amha Selassie I as a support organization for the Crown.

A Crown Council Proclamation of June 3, 1998, (^ 1991) set the stage by announcing the Crown’s decision to bring about the separation, noting: “Whereas His Imperial Majesty Emperor Amha Selassie I, of blessed memory, mindful in exile of the importance of providing an organization which could link the Crown with all Ethiopians, promoted and encouraged the formation of Moa Anbessa as a mass membership body wherein all Ethiopians would be eligible to make their wishes known to the Crown;”

“The Crown Council of Ethiopia (^), upon which the affairs of the Crown now Constitutionally rest following the death of Emperor Amha Selassie I, mindful of the fact that our beloved Ethiopia is now facing military attack and political upheaval, and mindful of the fact that the rôle of the Crown of Ethiopia is symbolic, unifying and healing for the peoples of Ethiopia, and should not be, or be seen to be, engaged in political activities, and yet mindful of the important rôle which Moa Anbessa can make to Ethiopia as a movement of our peoples concerned about the unity and sovereignty of the entire nation, Does Hereby Declare That”

1. “The Crown of Ethiopia hereby severs all formal links, and whatever influence and control with and over Moa Anbessa it may have in the past enjoyed, in order that Moa Anbessa be freed to pursue political and social goals on behalf of the peoples of Ethiopia, whether as a mass organization or as a political party, free to decide among its membership its charter and goals;”
2. “The Crown of Ethiopia wishes to express its warmest thanks to the membership and executives of Moa Anbessa for their voluntary and spontaneous support for the Crown, and hopes that this support, understanding and dialog which has developed through Moa Anbessa toward and with the Crown be sustained forever into the future;”
3. “The Crown of Ethiopia in particular recognizes the enormous creativity, drive and commitment of those members of Moa Anbessa who made the organization a viable and vibrant symbol of the Ethiopian people’s ongoing familial bond with the Crown and the Throne of Solomon, and in this regard pays tribute to Dr Getachew Mekasha, the [Founding] President of Moa Anbessa, and those executives and members of the organization who remain in our beloved homeland, defending its traditions, symbols, way of life and our national freedom;”
4. “The Crown of Ethiopia reaffirms that it is not linked with any individual political party of Ethiopia, or of any other country, in any way other than diplomatic, and except in the pursuit of the reaffirmation of the Crown’s ongoing rôle as the symbol of leadership of all of the peoples of Ethiopia, and execept and other than in the normal function of the relationship which all political parties and all peoples may have with their Sovereign, and the Sovereign with them.”

Moa Anbessa, in a letter this month to members, noted:

“The Ethiopian Monarchy has played a significant rôle in the administration of the country over a long period of time. The Crown had united the country under one administration and made it internationally known. This has enabled the Crown to be identified with maintaining the nation’s freedom, unity, equality, justice, the continuation of modernization, and the protector and guarantor of its soveriegnty. The Crown as part of the people, has contibuted its share in the social, cultural, and economic development of the nation.”

“In the context of protecting the people and the nation, the Crown has defended the country from both external and internal enemies. It has also been victorious. In times of disagreements or conflicts arising from internal squabbles between differing ethnic groups or in matters of religious disputes the Crown has played the rôle of peacemaker, and by taking the high ground was able to render a mediating role to facilitate an era of tranquility, peace and stability. It is for this reason that Ethiopia was able to defend its sovereignty, and continue on the path of modernization from one generation to the next.”

“This is not to say that all those who occupied the throne were all faultless or forward looking. History will tell us that there were those Emperors who were not in touch with the people’s needs or were not willing to advance with the times and as such were detrimental to the advancement of the nation.”

“The fact that the reigns of certain Emperors were detrimental to the life of the nation does not necessarily negate the purpose or need for a constructive rôle for the monarchy. It is precisely for this reason that the current Crown Council having assessed trends and development within Ethiopia and internationally has proposed the introduction of a constitutional monarchy which would not supplant the elected government, but facilitate a nascent democracy to emerge.”

“Under a constitutional monarchy, the monarchy will play its due historical rôle given to it by the constitution. Government with the responsibility of running the administration would then be electable through the people voting for an individual candidate or a single party that would be able to garner the largest amount of votes.”

“Moa Anbessa and the supporters of the Monarchy, to make this feasible, have created a political party and have named it Ethiopians for Constitutional Monarchy. This political party will carry the following agendas.
“A. It will organize and lead all those supporters of the monarchy both inside and outside the country.”
“B. It will educate people about the beneficial rôle of a constitutional monarchy in relevance to Ethiopia’s unity, historical legacy and continuity, in protecting the country’s sovereignty.”
“C. It will create and implement these programs.”
“D. It will research and put in place beneficial foundations that will enable Constitutional Monarchy to be feasible.”
“The principal aim of Ethiopians for Constitutional Monarchy will be that Ethiopians will be able to freely choose through a referandum to reinstate the monarchy.”
“Ethiopians for Constitutional Monarchy will from time to time create and formulate new programs.”
“A. It will conduct diplomatic and propaganda programs.”
“B. It will work along with other political parties that believe in the unity of Ethiopia, in the equality of its citizens and in the fundmental prinicipal that all power eminsates from the people.”
“Ethiopia reaches her hands unto God.”

Moa Anbessa officials have now begun the process of re-registering members in the organization in its political form. It is anticipated that the party will soon re-open its offices in Addis Ababa and around the world.

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