It was a story set in feudal Ethiopia, a unique time with an aura of liberalism that existed before the 1974 revolution transformed the nation. Hanna Yilma, who passed away a week ago, and Sibhat Gebre-egziabher (1936–February 20, 2012) belonged to that generation of Ethiopian elites that came of age during the 1960s, flourished amid the political and cultural upheavals of the time. She was a socialite with an aristocratic background, educated in the United States; he, by contrast, was a bookish and rebellious young man, a rural peasant background, a modest, at times aspiring bohemian writer, known for his nocturnal drinking in Wube Bereha, the city’s red-light district.
The story became widely known after the famous author Baalu Girma recounted it in his fictionalized work, Derasiw (The Author), published in 1980. It told of their acquaintanceship and marriage, their joint publications ventures (Ethiopia Mirror and Menen magazines), their intoxication with Mengistu Hailemariam and his revolution, and the eventual unraveling of their union. She chose to flee the country; he remained behind.
The next chapter of Sibaht’s story was, for the most part, well known. He continued to pursue his career in journalism and writing, surviving the terror and confusion of the revolution while trying to stand firm against all odds. In time, he became one of the most recognized authors of the country, though often notorious for scandalizing the conventional-minded and defying moral codes, not only through his writings but also through his abrasive, self-destructive behavior.
What remains less known is the story of Hanna after her exile.
As her sister Sophia Yilma, famous in her own right, who is one year older than her, describes it, after the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie and the imprisonment of their father, a key official in the Emperor’s government, Hanna fled to Sudan. There, she became involved in the opposition movement against the military regime.
She became a member of the Ethiopian People’s Democratic Alliance (EPDA), an organization she co-founded with her cousin, Dereje Deressa. Together, they established an opposition radio station, Voice of United Ethiopia, which broadcast fiercely critical messages against the military regime. Their activities made them prime targets, and several assassination attempts were carried out by agents sent from Ethiopia to Sudan. On one such occasion, it was said that Hanna managed to confront the assassin sent to kill her—and astonishingly, persuaded him to flee Ethiopia and begin a new life.
Later, while based in London for several years, Hanna dedicated herself to assisting Ethiopian refugees who had fled the regime. Through her relentless efforts, countless Ethiopians were able to find refuge in the United Kingdom. She worked tirelessly on programs that supported those escaping war and persecution.
In 1991, when the collapse of the military regime became imminent, Hanna joined the United Nations as an Information Officer in the Department of Public Information. Dereje would settle in the US. According to the bio published on the UN website, from 1992-1994, Hanna served as the UN Observer Mission to South Africa (UNOMSA) and from 1994-1995, as the UN Protective Force in the former Yugoslavia. From 1995-1998, she worked as a Political Affairs officer in the Situation Centre in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Subsequently, she held the post of Associate Spokesman in the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General (at that time, Kofi Annan). She retired as the Director of the UN Information Centre Pretoria in 2005 and chose to stay there. “Hannah Yilma left a lasting and meaningful legacy and the United Nations in South Africa salutes her remarkable life,” the UN said in statement.
Gebremedhin Hagos, a former colleague who is now based in Atlanta, paid tribute to her, describing her as a mentor. “Even though Hanna was born to a well-to-do family, she always had sympathy for the less privileged. A free spirit by nature who enjoyed intellectual discourse, Hanna had an engaging personality that won her many friends around the world. She was a refined and culturally sophisticated person, yet she was never intimidating or arrogant. Whether it was in South Africa or New York, breaking bread with her was a form of cultural uplift and enrichment,” he told Ethiopia Observer.
New Jersey resident, Professor Ephraim Isaac, 81, a retired Harvard scholar and board chairman of the Peace and Development Centre, recalls Hanna as good old friend and one who contributed a lot in the National Literacy Campaign Organization that he co-founded in early 70’s.”She was exceptionally gifted and she had a profound sense of moral purpose. I marvelled at the good work she was doing: important work, which changed people’s lives for the better,” he said.
She is survived by her son, Iyassu Sibhat, who is working as Head of Chemistry and Senior Director at Kallyope, New Jersey.
Image: Hanna Yilma photo UN.
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RIP Hana Yilma
Hana was the President of Alem Advertising on the old Nefasilk road before the Military Coup in 1974. A woman of great business acumen. Her marriage to the honorable Sibhat Geber-egaziber was a marriage of minds equally with different temperament. Tadeleche Kidane Mariam (ex-wife of the late Zeru Kischen of EPRP) who was the only survivor during the failed Ethiopian Airlines hijack at the end of 1972 with Walalligne Makonnen, Marta Meberatu, among others, used to work for Hana. My deepest sympathies to your son, family and friends.
I am writing to thank you for your effort in writing up an obituary of Hannah Yilma Deressa, who has passed earlier this month in South Africa. Arefaynie, in spite of his commendable effort, I regret to say that I have discovered some factual errors and gaps in that obituary.
The political organisation that Hannah and other notable Ethiopians had formed was not the Ethiopian Democratic Unity (EDU). It was rather called Ethiopian People Democratic Alliance (EPDA). Of course, Dereje Deressa (an Oromo) along with Commodore Tasew Desta (an Amhara), the late General Nega Tegegne (an Amhara), Captain Hassan Said Abdullah (an Ethiopian Somali) and some other prominent Ethiopians in exile, were instrumental in the formation of the EPDA. By the way, EPDA was among the very few political organisations that firmly believed and advocated for united and democratic Ethiopia, where all of its people live equally and freely, irrespective of their ethnic background, religion and beliefs as well as social status.
Arefaynie was correct to point out that EPDA used to make frequent broadcastings to Ethiopia from the Sudan for number of years, beginning in the early 1980s, in Amharic, Affan Oromo and Tigrigna languages, to inform Ethiopians about the evil missions of several separatist groups and mobilise fellow Ethiopians to reject these evil groups and to stand up against the fascist Dergue regime. Not only that EPDA used to have a human right/humanitarian branch known as the Ethiopian Refugees Relief Society (ERRSO), established to provide human rights/humanitarian, educational, health and self-help support to all Ethiopian refugees in the Sudan.
I would also like to point out that the obituary by Arefaynie, to be sketchy and full of gaps. The writer could have spent more time and space focusing on her than her late uncle Dereje and her former husband, Sebehat. In my humble opinion, it would have been informative and helpful if the writer had put down a few paragraphs, among other things, about her parents and her survivors as well as the traumatic time that she had spent at the Haileselassie I University, the time when her father, Honourable Yilma Deressa, a consummate economist and diplomat, who was summarily executed by the fascist Dergue regime.
In spite of the above stated oversights, I would like to thank both the author and the Ethiopian Observer, for shedding some light on the life of our late patriotic sister.
With highest regards,
T. Englizu
Dear Tade Englizu,
There are several ways to write an obit. Arefayenie has done one. Could you do one to honor Woizero Hanna Yilma? Thanks.
Ps: Please use your legal name as a sign of respect for the deceased.