Ahadou Sabouré is one of Ethiopia’s veteran journalists, public servants, and diplomats. He served as Ethiopia’s ambassador to Somalia (1961–1967) and Djibouti (1967–1972). The following is the second installment of Ato Ahadou’s life story, told in his own words and compiled largely from an interview he gave 14 years ago to the now-defunct Amharic magazine Lisane Hizb.
My Appointment to Somalia
At the end of my four-month exile, I was brought before the Emperor and told that I would soon be informed of my new position. Hence, it became clear to me that my career in journalism had come to an end. Almost immediately, I was assigned as ambassador to Somalia in 1961, becoming the second Ambassador to Mogadishu, replacing Zewde Gebre Selassie. I was suddenly thrust into the complexities of diplomacy and the responsibilities of representing Ethiopia abroad. I cannot say with certainty why I was chosen, but I believe my command of Somali, French, and Italian, together with my knowledge of the region, had helped.
This was around when the Somali state was born, following the merger of former British and Italian Somalilands, and when the “Greater Somalia” movement —initiated under British influence—emerged with the aim of uniting all Somalis under one state. The Somalians started to wage war against Ethiopia over the question of the Ogaden territory. I had the delicate role of trying to restore a new spirit of friendship and peace between the two countries, where the bilateral relationship was the trickiest. The Somalians insisted on severing the Djibouti territory controlled by the French as well as the northern frontier district of Kenya and the Ethiopian Ogaden region that had a population of one million Somalians. I contested, saying that there had never been any Somali nation before 1960, and that the Ogaden had been an integral part of Ethiopia, with its people as much as those from Gondar or Gojam. My mission, however, came to an end without seeing much fruit.
Serving in Djibouti amid rising Somali influence
I was then transferred to Djibouti, where I served as consul-general with ambassadorial rank until 1974. When I arrived in Djibouti, I was alarmed by what I witnessed there. I had first known the country seventeen years earlier. I had returned briefly afterward on some missions. Now, however, the people had turned highly hostile towards Ethiopians. Doubtless, this is all to Somalia propaganda. There was a pro-Somalia movement working underground inside of Djibouti and while Somalia worked hard to win hearts and minds after gaining independence, we Ethiopians did little in this regard. The Ethiopian legation was ineffective, a lame duck that accomplished nothing of substance.
Having observed this lacuna, I spoke with the French and local officials and submitted my preliminary report to the Emperor. With regard to the issue of Djibouti’s independence, Charles de Gaulle was reported to have said, “Before we grant liberty, we have to know first if this is a genuine demand coming from the people or another interest group. If the people really want independence, we are ready to give them what they demand.” The French allowed people to decide their fate through referendum. As for Ethiopians, we had a stake on the land and the people really were part of part of us. The people had a cultural affinity with us. Second there was border-cross railway stretching straight to Djibouti. There was an economic ties that bind us together.
Djibouti’s desire was to be integrated into some form of arrangement with Ethiopia. But what exactly was the nature of the referendum the French were proposing? Were they genuinely interested in working with us? My government tasked me with probing these questions and submitting my findings. The French insisted that if the people wanted liberty, they were ready to pack up and leave. Yet they had made no preparations for a transfer of power. There was hardly anyone who could credibly assume leadership in the event of independence. It was like a colony. There were officials to be sure. The rank and file were blue-collar workers. So between us, we and the French made a deal to do our utmost respectively, to influence the outcome of the referendum in such a way that the people would somehow be favourable to the idea of continuing under the French in some form of improved protectorate. I submitted the proposal , and it was approved. Ethiopia shares a 450km border with Djibouti. A considerable portion of the Djibouti people (the Afar or Isa) resided in Ethiopia. So these people were made to cross the border and vote in the referendum. The question posed to the people was phrased something like this. “Do you want to live under the French in some form of improved and better administration or independence?” We knew which one to support. What was wanted was a system of improved administration.
Ethiopia’s intent was to win over the Adals, Afars and Isas residing in Ethiopia with a view to integrating them more fully into the Empire. There was not much done for them previously. Even water wells were not dug. Our goal was to lay the groundwork for the next vote after ten or fifteen years. Accordingly, we made the deal with the French, and the referendum took place. Reporters from across the world—including the UK, the US, France, Germany, Egypt, and the Middle East—flocked to cover the occasion. The Somalis were deeply anxious about the outcome. On our side, we did all we could to mobilize the support of our sympathizers and influence those nations that were not favourably disposed towards us. The outcome turned out to be what we had hoped. Sixty-two percent of the people voted in favor of an improved protectorate under the French. It soon became clear that the French intended to withdraw, while the Somalis maintained a firm stance that Djibouti should be integrated into their polity.
We stood opposed to this. We made our position clear that not just Djibouti, but also Eritrea, Kenya, the Sudan, and other neighbouring countries should come together and be integrated under some form of confederation. But my plea fell on deaf ears, then followed the change of regime.
Photo: Ambassador Ahadou greeting guests at the Ethiopian Embassy (Credit: Georges Gleyze family)
Read also: In his own words: Ambassador Ahadou Saboure
