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Haile Selassie: the last emperor of Ethiopia

Emperor Haile Selassie’s successes and failures during his long reign
of Ethiopia. Bridget Kendall talks to Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Laura
Hammond and Gerard Prunier.

Emperor Haile Selassie was the last in the line of Ethiopia’s ancient
monarchy. During his long rule he was revered as an international
statesman and reformer, demonised as a dictator, and even
worshipped as a God incarnate by the Rastafarians of Jamaica.
He was without doubt a controversial figure, but achieved a status in the global arena previously unheard of for an African ruler.

Bridget Kendall discusses Haile Selassie’s life and legacy with Prince
Asfa-Wossen Asserate, political analyst and author of ‘King of Kings:
The Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia’,
who is also the great-nephew of Haile Selassie; Gerard Prunier,
Independent Consultant on Eastern and Central African affairs, and
former Director of the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies in Addis
-Ababa; and Laura Hammond, an anthropologist specialising in
Ethiopia at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of
London.

Image: Haile Selassie
Credit: Henry Guttmann/Getty Images

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44 minutes

Last on

Mon 9 Mar 2020 04:06GMT

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Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?

Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?

We’d love to hear your views on charm and charisma for a future Forum.

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