Professor Mesfin Wolde-Mariam’s newly published book, recounts time in prison

By Aref Addis J.

Here is an extract from Professor Mesfin Wolde-Mariam’s newly published book, Agetuni (Detained).Part memoir, part history, the book provides first hand account of events leading up to the 2005 election and its aftermath.

According to some reports Prof. Mesfin mentioned in his new book about Lidetu and main reason for Birtukan's arrest. Preview of the Book about the Kaliti Prison can be found below.







Here is a little biography about Prof. Mesfin

is an Ethiopian peace activist, who has been actively engaged in a peaceful movement to bring justice, equality and peace for all the people in his country. He is a founding member of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC), and later founded the Rainbow Ethiopia: Movement for Democracy and Social Justice.
Professor Mesfin Woldemariam has won numerous awards for his struggle for equality and justice to the disadvantageous in his country. In 2006, he was nominated for the Sakharov Prize, the highest European Unions prize for human rights defenders

Early life

Born in Addis Ababa, Mesfin received his early education at Teferi Mekonnen School, and was a student of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, receiving ordination as a deacon in 1946. He completed his further education in London in 1951, and won a scholarship to study abroad. He received his B.A. from Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1955 and his M.S. from Clark University in the United States in 1957.

Mesfin was professor of geography at Haile Sellassie University (now Addis Ababa University or AAU), and for a time the head of the geography department. He was also a senior Fullbright scholar in 1971, 1986 and 1987. However according to Africa Action, he was fired in 1991 from AAU due to his critical view of the government of Ethiopia. The current president of AAU, Professor Andreas Eshete, who has had a close relationship with the country's ruling political party, Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, is considered to have a major role in expelling Professor Mesfin from his teaching post. But this claim is contested because Andreas Eshete was not even the president of AAU in 1991

Prepared by NewsDire Staff
Ato. Sulyman Getachew
Addis Journal's Book Preview