Background
Ketema Yifru was born on December 12, 1929 by the slopes of Mount Gara Muleta, Harerghe province of Eastern Ethiopia
Ketema Yifru was born on December 12, 1929 by the slopes of Mount Gara Muleta, Harerghe province of Eastern Ethiopia
Educated at Haile Selassie Secondary School and at Addis Ababa and Boston Universities. During the Italian occupation between 1936 and 1941 he went with his family to British Somaliland. After studying international relations and political science at Boston University in the USA he returned home.
After studying international relations and political science at Boston University in the USA he returned and joined the Italian Department of the Foreign Ministry, becoming Director-General of the American and Asian Departments from 1956 to 1958.
He joined the Ministry of the Pen as the Emperor’s private secretary from 1958 to 1960, becoming Vice-Minister in 1960 and, in 1961 when only 32 years old, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and full Foreign Affairs Minister in April 1966. Ethiopia was then engaged in a major border conflict with Somalia which had degenerated into open warfare in 1964.
Peace talks started after the OAU conference of September 1967 and in February 1968 Ketema led a delegation to the Somali capital of Mogadishu, to Pave the way for a meeting of the Heads State. His initiative brought peace, but did not end Somali claims.
Another dispute concerned Ethiopia’s undemarcated border with the Sudan. He also worked to heal the conflict with the Sudan and led a mission to Khartoum in March 1971, which resulted in a reconvention of the border commission.
He assisted the Emperor in his role as a major peacemaker in Africa taking a message from Colonel Ojukwu, the Biafran leader, to General Gowon, expressing willingness to negotiate peace.
In a major cabinet reshuffle on August 19, 1971, after more than 10 valuable years in the foreign ministry, he made way for Minassie Haile, former Ambassador to the USA, and became Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.
He played a personal part in easing the border disputes with Ethiopia and Somalia. His move to Commerce and Industry came as a complete and unexpected change and was generally considered a demotion though he did have Tourism added to the existing Commerce and Industry portfolio.
He was married to Woizero Rahel Senegiorgis, and had four sons.
