Asfaha Woldemikael

Contents

Asfaha Woldemikael (Tigrinya: ኣስፍሃ ወልደሚካኤል, romanized: Asfaha Wolde-Mika'el; 1914 – 2002) was an Eritrean and Ethiopian politician and interpreter who served as the Chief Executive of Eritrea from 1955 to 1962. He supported the annexation of Eritrea to the Ethiopian Empire.

Biography

Asfaha Woldemikael was born in 1914 in Akrur, Akele Guzai, then a part of Italian Eritrea. He attended primary school in Segeneiti. He worked for the Italian colonial government as an interpreter from 1932 to 1941.[1]

In 1941, Asfaha joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ethiopian Empire. He was the president of the Association for Uniting Eritrea with Ethiopia. In 1952, following the establishment of the Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea,[1] he was appointed as Eritrea's imperial vice representative under Andargachew Messai.[2]

On 23 July 1955, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie forced Tedla Bairu, the Chief Executive of Eritrea, to resign after he suspended habeas corpus to combat shifta activity.[3] Asfaha was elected by the Eritrean Assembly to succeed Tedla[1] in a 48–17 vote.[4] Asfaha assumed office on 8 August 1955.[1] As chief executive, Asfaha moved Eritrea towards full annexation into Ethiopia.[5] His position was secured following the 1956 Eritrean parliamentary election after he packed the Eritrean Assembly with pro-annexation candidates.[6]

Shortly after coming to power, Asfaha banned the use of Arabic by federal institutions in Eritrea and mandated the use of Amharic.[7] The Muslim Mosques Committee of Asmara denounced this action as violating article 38 of the constitution guaranteeing the use of Arabic in Eritrea.[8] In April 1958, Asfaha banned all Eritrean political parties and federal allowed security forces to arrest and imprison anyone for up to ten days without charges.[9] That same year, he suppressed and a general strike.[1] Under Asfaha, the Eritrean Assembly ceased flying the Eritrean flag after 24 December 1958.[10] On 14 November 1962, Asfaha read a speech in Asmara that declared the dissolution of the federation and announced Eritrea's full annexation into Ethiopia. This went into full effect the following day. Asfaha served as chief executive until the federation's dissolution.[1]

Asfaha served as the Minister of Justice of Ethiopia during the 1970s.[1]

Asfaha was Catholic.[1]

References

  1. 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4][1.5][1.6][1.7][1.8]Connell & Killion 2011, p. 94.
  2. 2.Connell & Killion 2011, p. 283.
  3. 3.Connell & Killion 2011, p. 494.
  4. 4.Negash 1997, p. 111.
  5. 5.Connell & Killion 2011, p. 250.
  6. 6.Connell & Killion 2011, pp. 104–105.
  7. 7.Venosa 2013, pp. 38–39.
  8. 8.Venosa 2013, p. 39.
  9. 9.Venosa 2013, p. 40.
  10. 10.BBC News 2022.