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Ethiopians too weary to care about “Last Emperor”

It seems that emperors have gone out of fashion in Ethiopia, a nation with a dreadful past, including appalling famines. The magnificent coronation 80 years ago of the East African country’s last emperor, Haile Selassie, drew global interest. But fewer than 100 people gathered on Sunday to celebrate its anniversary. This included a few dozen Rastafarians who believe he is a symbol of God incarnate, who will lead Africans to a golden age of peace and prosperity. Selassie was kicked out in a bloody military coup in 1974, ending a 44-year reign and marking the beginning of a Marxist state, which fell shortly after the Berlin Wall. Its leader Mengistu Haile Mariam fled to Zimbabwe. Since then the party terrorised by Mengistu has governed the country, and have terrorised in their turn. Dozens of today’s opposition leaders are frequently arrested for plotting to overthrow the government. Read more: AFP, VOA, University of Oslo

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