Ketema Yifru

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

Born in Gara Muleta, Ethiopia, Yifru rose to the highest levels of Emperor Haile Selassie's government. He served in several ministries in the Aklilu Habte-Wold government. Yifru played an important role in the forming of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of today's African Union. Yifru was imprisoned without charge by the Derg regime that deposed Selassie in 1974, along with other officials of the Selassie government. He was imprisoned for eight years.

Following his release, Ketema Yifru accepted a senior position with the United Nations agency, the World Food Program (WFP).

He died on January 14 1994, aged 64, in Addis Ababa, from pancreatic cancer. He was survived by his widow, Woizero Rahel Senegiorgis, and their four sons.

ource

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

External links

* [http://www.oau-creation.com/ketema_1.htm OAU]