Amb. Zewde Retta (center) with his son Gabriel at a Book Signing event in Atlanta. (Photo: zewderetta.com)
By Arefayné Fantahun
Outstanding Ethiopia historian, journalist and diplomat Zewede Retta passed away yesterday in London at the age of 81, Ethiopia Observer has learnt. Zewde who was considered a great historian of modern Ethiopia, and a political commentator was on vacation in the United Kingdom. He was taken to hospital by ambulance, after he fell down on the street in London. He died at the hospital.
Ethiopian Ambassador to Italy and Tunisia, wrote important books on the life and times of Haile Selassie and the question of Eritrea.
Born in Addis Ababa, Young Zewde went to French Lycée Guebre-Mariam, where he completed his primary and secondary education. According to his biography in Amazon, he began his professional career at the Ministry of Information in 1952 and became the youngest news correspondent for Ethiopian radio as well as press correspondent to the Emperor’s palace. “He then spent four years at the school of journalism in Paris where he graduated in 1959. Soon after he became editor in chief for the newspaper The Voice of Ethiopia and for Menen magazine,” the bio reads.
Throughout the 50’s and 60’s he held numerous positions including deputy information minister, chief director of the Ethiopian news agency and President of the Pan African News Agency.
Read more at ethiopiaobserver.com »
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