Category: Statements

A Statement by His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council

The Crown Council of Ethiopia has watched with concern the rise of divisions within our beloved country, even as Ethiopians have been celebrating the great unifying event of the anniversary of Emperor Menelik II’s Victory at Adwa 122 years ago.

It is not for the Crown to interfere with, or determine, political positions in Ethiopia. The late Emperor Haile Selassie I was committed to introducing a separation between the Crown and the Government, so that the People would be free to choose the political governance of the State.

But the Crown Council reiterates its position that the Ethiopian Crown has never abandoned its commitment and duty to the Ethiopian People, as well as to the State, which is our collective home and legacy, regardless of the coup of 1974 and the subsequent regicide of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I.

The Ethiopian Crown, through its Crown Council, wishes to make clear that it is, and always has been, ready to help mediate and stabilize social relations within our country. We serve all Ethiopians, regardless of race, religion, or location, just as we serve the cause of the territorial integrity of our State.

It is the duty and mission of the Crown to represent the unity and prestige of our unique assembly of societies, which together reflect more than three millennia of shared history, including the unbroken Solomonic lineage. To the Ethiopian People we say: We have never left you. We are ready to serve. We are committed to Ethiopian Democracy, and justice for all, and to respect the absolute right of Ethiopians to choose their own political destiny. The role of governance is for the People to choose. The role of the Crown is to safeguard that right.

A Statement by His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council

Our beloved Ethiopia is currently beset by challenges and difficulties. It is an historically important time for all Ethiopians. It is a time when we must realize that we can choose a path of unity, hope, and leadership, or we can allow ourselves to fall into mutual antagonisms and thereby choose a path which leads to the break-up of the great experiment which began more than three millennia ago. We can recommit ourselves to being the great, noble, and gracious collection known as Ethiopia, or we can succumb to becoming a mere collection of small, petty, and struggling societies.

We are at a point where we can choose our future, and whether or not we choose to overcome our difficulties and challenges to become again a unified, prosperous example to Africa and the world.

Our forefathers maintained our sovereignty, moving the Solomonic Crown — the historical identity of the peoples of our great collection of societies — to the position where its primary function was to represent and inspire the unity and nobility of our nation and peoples. We reiterate those respective positions of the Crown and the age-old traditions of Ethiopia.

The Crown takes no political role when it calls on all of us to ensure that we do not harm our great country. We understand that there are differences between individuals and between communities, but equally we understand that this is a time when these issues must be approached carefully, judiciously, and not in haste or in anger.

There are many external forces at work on our country, anxious to inflame mutual distrust within Ethiopia, and to promote the forces of secession or irredentism. It is easy to fall into the trap of reaction and indignation, a process which, while addressing short-term challenges and emotions, has long-term consequences. Above all, we must remember the special relationship which our great Ethiopia — and its peoples of several different Abrahamic paths — has with God.

Political frustrations do occur in multi-cultural societies like Ethiopia, but they are best channeled by building and strengthening democratic institutions. But in the meantime, we must remain cognizant of our shared identity, our unity as a gathering of many peoples, and our great and noble purpose as a special society which is destined once again to set an example of tolerance, hospitality, generosity, and learning.

The only beneficiaries of a disunited or dismembered Ethiopia are those who wish to see our great history rendered meaningless and our potential as a society destroyed, and those beneficiaries are not Ethiopians. We have all learned the dangers of times of inflamed emotions, and we trust in our civil society and our institutions of state to act with restraint and kindness.

My fellow Ethiopians: please pause; please offer compassion when provoked to reaction. Let us start to rebuild the greatness of Ethiopia which began with our origins three millennia ago. We pray that calm heads and tolerant hearts prevail, and that together we emphasize and build upon our shared identities and values. What differences exist between our communities must be seen as the shades which exist within a family. Nothing can be as devastating as the destruction of family; but nothing is as worthwhile or productive as the shared pride in the special differences which exist within it.

It is with deep sadness that we express our condolences to the victims and their families of the recent landslide tragedy in Addis Ababa. We also wish those who were injured a quick recovery and pray that God grant us comfort during these difficult days for all Ethiopians.

A Statement by His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council

It is with deep sadness that the Crown Council mourns the loss of a great scholar, prominent historian and Champion of Ethiopia, with the death of Professor Richard Pankhurst, GCHT, on February 16, 2017. We offer our personal and profound condolences to his family, his many friends and admirers.

Like his mother, Sylvia Pankhurst, the famous feminist of the suffragette movement, Richard Pankhurst’s af-fection and service to Ethiopia, its scholarship and drive for justice, were monumental.

Richard from an early age, and alongside his mother, campaigned against the fascist occupation of Ethiopia. His books on Ethiopia’s social and economic history are most noteworthy and his many years teaching, men-toring and publishing have rightfully earned him great respect.

His lifetime of dedicated effort and advocacy for the return of Ethiopia’s looted properties were finally crowned with the return of the Aksum Obelisk from Rome.

We all returned the love he felt for Ethiopia, and are grateful that he was interred where he wished to be at the Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa.

The next generation of scholars and campaigners must continue the great legacy of Professor Pankhurst: to honor his life by continuing his work to achieve the full return of our stolen treasures, which represent the deep heart of our history and identity.

May God rest his soul

The Crown Council of Ethiopia has been presented with incontrovertible evidence that several persons in the US and Europe have been illegally and fraudulently raising funds using the name of the Ethiopian Crown and its charities, offering the sale of ranks, orders, and decorations which are within the Crown’s gift alone, and for which the Crown holds historical copyright.

Supporters of the Crown are urged to only communicate with the Crown Council directly, or via its recognized charitable body, The International Society for the Imperial Ethiopian Orders (registered as The International Society for the Star of Ethiopia), a US-registered [501(c)3] charitable foundation.

The individuals concerned have purveyed illegal grants of Orders in exchange for payment, and these illegally-bestowed Orders may not be worn, nor the ranks, privileges, and post-nominals used. All legally-awarded recognitions by the Crown Council are recorded in the Crown’s Official Registry, maintained by the Council.

Anyone who is concerned that he or she may have been the subject of fraud in regard to the issuance of a Crown honor should contact the Crown Council at: PO Box 320608, Alexandria, Virginia 22320, USA, or via email to: GRCopley@StrategicStudies.org. Anyone who feels that he or she has been the subject of such fraud should also attempt to retrieve all details of correspondence, bank transfers, and the like with the criminals involved, and copies of any such documentation should be sent to the Crown Council.

The illegal sale of Crown honors diminishes the prestige of recognitions lawfully given to those who have faithfully and diligently served the community. Moreover, those who have innocently acquired fraudulently-dispensed honors in exchange for what they have felt were donations to the charitable works of the Crown have, unfortunately, seen their funds go only to enrich those people who have dispensed the fake honors. The Crown and its charities are the poorer for this theft of funds which were intended to help (in particular) Ethiopia, Ethiopians, and Africans, including the Water Initiative for Africa (WIA), the main charity of the President of the Crown Council, HIH Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie.

Those claiming to represent the Crown Council have often used non-existent titles such as “Grand Chancellor”, have forged the signature of HIH Prince Ermias on many of the documents, and have forged the Seal of the Council.

By His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of The Crown Council of Ethiopia

We wish to acknowledge the profound sadness of the Members of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, and particularly the President of the Council, at the passing of His Majesty King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa, 80, the King (Mwami) of Rwanda, in the Washington, DC, area on October 16, 2016. His Majesty was a good and loyal friend to Ethiopia, and to the Imperial Family.

Her Imperial Highness Princess Saba Kebede and I were moved and honored to be able to attend the High Requiem Mass held for His Majesty at St. Athanasius Church, in Vienna, Virginia, near Washington, DC, on October 31, 2016, to be able to say our farewells to this courageous monarch and true father of all the Rwandan Peoples. We send our condolences and sorrow to the People, Royal Family, and Government of Rwanda.

We could not permit His Majesty’s passing to go without tribute being paid to the suffering he endured in exile, and the sadness which haunted him until his death caused by the genocide of 1994 and later. It was His Majesty who had endeavored to warn the international community — particularly the United Nations and the United States of America — about the coming storm which King Kigeli knew was about to engulf his People.

His Majesty, who had been forced unlawfully from his country in 1961, had spent his early years in exile without resources, but nonetheless campaigning for the world to be aware of the tragedy which was incubating in his beloved country.

He never ceased to campaign for the welfare of Rwandans. But he also saw it as his duty to keep the thousand-year-old Rwandan Crown alive, and he never relinquished the Throne. He recognized that he was holding the Crown in trust for the next Monarch of Rwanda, who would be chosen by the Rwandan People and their Traditional System of Succession when the time was appropriate.

Those two great legacies — his attempt to prevent the genocide which he believed was coming, and his successful bid to keep the Crown alive — are testimony to this great King, who was prevented from serving Rwanda and Africa as fully as he sought to do. It was only this year that the Crown of Ethiopia declared His Majesty a Ras in the Ethiopian aristocratic realm. He had already been proclaimed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Queen of Sheba, both honors which he proudly acknowledged.

He remained, until his death, always available to help where he could the People of Rwanda, and the fact that he died without wealth or privilege testified to his Christian belief that he could not prosper while his People suffered.

May we wish a thousand years more life to the Crown of Rwanda which he saved. May we wish a thousand more years for His Majesty King Kigeli V in the hearts and minds of the Rwandan People.

The historical bonds between Jamaica and Ethiopia were profoundly strengthened by a Formal — but private — Visit to Jamaica by His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie between April 21 and 30, 2016, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the State Visit to Jamaica by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I in April 1966.

Prince Ermias, after completing the visit, said that he warmly thanked Prime Minister the Honorable Andrew Holness; Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport the Hon. Olivia “Babsy” Grange; the Government, the Leader of the Opposition, and the People and media of Jamaica for the overwhelming kindness and hospitality he and HIH Princess Saba Kebede were shown during the visit.

Prince Ermias and Princess Saba were met on arrival by Minister Grange, Minister of Transport and Mining the Hon. Michael Henry, and the Ethiopian Consul to Jamaica. Minister Grange, the Consul, and the Chief of Protocol, Her Excellency Ambassador Elinor (Phillips) Felix of the Jamaican Government, kindly supported the visit throughout. Prince Ermias said that his visit to Jamaica was, like the visit of his late Grandfather, the Emperor, in no way political, but was to strengthen the cultural and human bonds between the two nations.

The Prince thanked the Jamaican People for their unstinting support for the Ethiopian People over the generations, and particularly thanked the Jamaican educators who have volunteered over the years to serve as teachers in Ethiopia. He and Princess Saba visited the Haile Selassie School, in the marginalized and economically challenged St. Andrew area of Kingston, for the annual Founders’ Day celebrations, and was there presented the Keys to the City of Kingston by Mayor Dr Angela Brown Burke. The Emperor had broken the ground for the school during his visit in 1966.

As a gesture in remembrance of the founding of the school, and the continued bonds between Ethiopia and Jamaica which the school represents, His Imperial Highness presented a donation of US$5,000 (Jamaican $600,000) to the school. He said later: “This small gesture was in part thanks for the great donations the Jamaican People have made in financial and human terms to their adopted cousins in Ethiopia. I put my countrymen at home in Ethiopia above all other priorities, and it was because of the unstinting loyalty of the Jamaicans to Ethiopia that we must show thanks and respect.”

Since his return from Jamaica, Prince Ermias was also working toward the provision of a bust or statue of His Imperial Majesty for the Haile Selassie High School, which was graciously being created and bestowed by an Ethiopian sculptor to commemorate the 50th anniversary visit

Education, in fact, was one of the key points of the visit, and Prince Ermias and Princess Saba visited a number of academic institutions, apart from the Haile Selassie High School, including the University of the West Indies and Jamaica College. Former Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding had been Head Boy of Jamaica College in 1966 when the Emperor visited, and met the Emperor. Mr Golding noted: “Your visit at this time is something that we regard very highly, something that we cherish and we welcome you in the same spirit and in the same generosity of heart and the same warmth that we welcomed your grandfather 50 years ago.” Acting Principal of Jamaica College, Mr Rohan Wong, said the institution was honored to host the Prince, in what he described as “a milestone event”.

The visiting couple were greeted by large crowds on arrival at Norman Manley International Airport, and throughout their visit to Jamaica. Prince Ermias said that he was grateful for the enthusiasm shown for the visit by Jamaica’s large Rastafari community which has, over the decades since the Emperor’s visit, shown increasing support for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Prince Ermias noted: “There is no doubt that the veneration shown to His Imperial Majesty by the Rastafari community conflicted with his strict devotion to the Ethiopian Church, and he was anxious that the Rastafari People — as much as he loved them — should come together with our Holy Mother Church. The Emperor would, I believe, have been proud to have seen the progress of the Rastafari People of Jamaica today, and the fact that they have honored him by their respect for the Ethiopian Church.”

He also noted how much he had learned from his visit to the Maroon community of Jamaica.

His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, has made the following statement:

Ethiopians have witnessed the start of a new era in their relationship with Egypt, with the courageous efforts this month of the Egyptian Government to save 27 Ethiopian Christians who had been working in Libya and who had been at risk from the so-called “Islamic State” extremist group.

The efforts of Egyptian President Abdul Fatah Saeed Hussein Khalil al-Sisi to ensure the safe rescue and return of our Ethiopian brothers was something which the Ethiopian People will not forget. Neither will they forget the fact that President al-Sisi personally welcomed the rescued Ethiopians onto Egyptian soil when the mission was accomplished.

At the same time, we mourn the loss of some 30 of our Ethiopian Christian brethren, all workers in Libya, who had earlier been murdered by the perverted religious extremists of the so-called “Islamic State”, and for the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who had been brutally killed by IS before that. The Egyptian and Ethiopian churches have been closely related for more than 1,500 years.

It is clear that Ethiopia can now have a great and supportive ally in Egypt. The nature of the strategic position on the Red Sea and Nile has changed toward stability, cooperation, and prosperity with the election of Pres. al-Sisi in 2014. We are aware that there have been many issues, particularly with regard to the Nile waters and the Red Sea, which for some time divided the two great popu-lations of the region, Egypt and Ethiopia. However, we now see that Pres. al-Sisi has begun to view these things, which once divided our two nations, as things which, in fact, can unite us.

There will always be issues to resolve between two neighboring states, but, with goodwill, the chance to achieve greater things through friendship and co-operation must always be the preferred route. Pres. al-Sisi has demonstrated that he can work with Ethiopia on a range of issues, from the Red Sea and Nile to the security and stability of the region.

Ethiopia is poised once again to begin its economic rise as a state with rights and influence in the Red Sea, and we hold great hope that the governments of Ethiopia and Egypt can work together in increasing harmony.

In the meantime, we must express our gratitude and debt of honor which we owe to the Egyptian President and the Egyptian People for their humanitarian and brotherly act in saving our brothers who had been working in Libya.

The President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, today expressed his and the Council’s sorrow and anger at the unlawful killing of 21 Egyptian workers on February 15, 2015, by a group claiming to represent the Islamic State in Libya.

Prince Ermias noted: “It is difficult to adequately express the concern we have for the rise in violence in our region in the name of religion, but we wish at this time to express our great sense of grief, and our sympathy to the families of the 21 murdered men, and to the Coptic community in Egypt, as well as to the Government and People of Egypt. This was a crime of hatred against innocent people, solely on the basis of their Christianity.”

“We are greatly encouraged that the Government and the Church in Egypt, as well as People of all faiths in Egypt, have come together to condemn this barbarity. We hope that, through the pain, this episode has at least one benefit in building even stronger bonds between the Muslim and Christian communities of Egypt.”

“As well, we are highly conscious of the fact that Ethiopia, too, represents a society in which Christians and Muslims live together, and have done so, for the most part harmoniously, for centuries. Libya, the scene of this barbarity, has itself historically displayed great moderation in its society, particularly with the Senussiyah branch of Islam welcoming guests into the country. It is sad to record that this tolerance was put aside with the removal of the reign of King Idris I in 1969. We pray, as do most Libyans, for a return to that sense of tolerance and harmony in the country, and for the removal of alien forces there.”

“It is time for the People of the Nile, and their neighbors, to stand together for peace and cooperation.”

Our heartfelt wish for the well-being and development of Ethiopia compelled us to realistically assess the progress which has been made by the Government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and to compare it to the conditions he inherited after 17 years rule under the Military Government of the Dergue. This led us to recognize, appreciate, and give credit for the contributions made to promote the healing of our traumatized people; for rebuilding the broken name of our historic nation; for reinstating Ethiopia as a leader in African affairs; and for enabling our people to regain their place amongst respectable nations.   

Having said so, the Crown Council of Ethiopia would like to first extend its sincere condolences to the family of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and to all the people of Ethiopia. As already testified by many world leaders and as history will later prove, Ethiopia, Africa, and the World have lost a gallant servant of the people.

Secondly, we are duty bound to put on record our recognition and sincere appreciation for the love of his country that had led the young Meles Zenawi to take arms at the age of 19, and to fight for 16 years against the atrocities which our nation suffered under the Dergue. At a time when there was no help in sight for Ethiopians to overcome the power of a well backed Military Government, Meles Zenawi and his fellow fighters sacrificed their youth and talent, in their determination to alleviate the suffering of our people. As a leader, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s courage, tenacity, and above all his “can do” spirit, was like that of our forefathers who fought and won two wars against overwhelming odds.   

Prime Minister Meles, who himself was a Haile-Selassie I Prize Scholar, very much like his benefactor, recognized the importance of education in national development. He became exemplary by making time, despite his overwhelming duties, to complete his University education after he became Prime Minister. He facilitated the establishment of many Universities and the expansion of education throughout the country. In recognition of the benefits of educating women, he donated his well-deserved prize money to extend Secondary Education to girls in rural areas. Furthermore, he was an ardent promoter of women’s rights.

We sincerely believe that it is the recognition of and respect for human dignity, rather than the widely suspected intent to divide the people of Ethiopia that had led the Government of Prime Minister Meles to respect ethnic identity. The elimination of the requirement to conform has enhanced self-confidence, unleashed a great deal of talent, and has manifested in expediting the cultural, social and economic development of our country. Furthermore, unlike the Dergue which stifled economic development in the name of communism, the Government of Prime Minister Meles instituted an open economic policy which enabled the economy of Ethiopia to flourish and accelerate to an unprecedented level.

In the spirit of the well-established belief that was upheld under Emperor Haile Selassie, which stated that “A country is a shared entity, but religion is a private matter”, Prime Minister Meles allowed all religious groups to practice their respective religion freely. Thus, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was able to reclaim Church property which had been confiscated by the Dergue, and to once again use it to continue its well established religious teachings and provide much needed social services.

Above all, the diplomatic skills of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and his ability to have convinced donor Governments to provide development assistance rather than perpetually be dependent on emergency aid, has enabled Ethiopia to build a firm foundation to set itself free from the chain of eternal dependency. This major contribution and the fact that Ethiopia has once again set an example for others in similar situation, is worthy of recognition. The mammoth task to develop the Nile for regional benefit is also unmatched, and needs the support of all Ethiopians.

Furthermore, we need to put on record the fact that whereas the Dergue would have found all members of the Royal Family, and the children of former officials who had served under Emperor Haile-Selassie, guilty for having been born, and sent them all directly to prison, the Government of Prime Minister Meles allowed them to return home, to live there undisturbed, and to take part in national development. As this kind of consideration is relatively rare in countries previously ruled by Monarchs, it is worthy of recognition and deep appreciation.

In conclusion, we recognize that no human being, and certainly no form of Government, can be said to be totally good or totally bad. Whether it is one or the other has to be judged in the context of the period in which one lived, the material and human resources which were accessible at that time, and the relative weight of the positive and negative contributions which were made.

We are cognizant that there were controversial issues which had transpired while Prime Minister Meles was in power, but this is not the time for such a debate. At this juncture, we should acknowledge with honesty, and praise him for his outstanding contributions, and take the opportunity to identify where we can give support to ensure that Ethiopia continues on the accelerated path of development. This will enable us to prevent our country from reverting to the stage where the Dergue had dismantled the foundation which had previously been built, which almost led to the total disintegration of Ethiopia. In due course, we will have ample time for civilized and open dialogue in the interest of our nation.

Today, we salute the spirit of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi for his outstanding contribution for the development of Ethiopia. We express our deep respect for his stand to always put the interest of our country first. We admire his intellectual honesty, and his exemplary maturity which had compelled him to acknowledge the contributions made by Emperor Haile-Selassie and Colonel Mengistu Haile-Mariam to support African Independence and Unity, despite their political differences. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has amply demonstrated that when we acknowledge and build on the positive achievements of former leaders, we succeed in expanding, and accelerating the development of our nation.