The life & legacy of Kebede Anisa: The creator 

of ‘Imperialist’ oriented socialist motto’

"There were uninterrupted and well organized institutional memory as the media landscape were favorable to both seasoned and aspiring journalists. For instance, as a senior journalist Kebede mentored protégés who had later become accomplished writers such as late GebreKirstos Desta, Fikre Tolossa (Ph.D), and late Assefa Chebo."

BY WORKU BELACHEW

Former Editor-In-Chief of The Ethiopian Herald

Book Review:

Author of the book: Mesereteab Kebede Anisa

Title of the book: ኢትዮጵያ ትቅደም

Place of publication: N/A

Year of publication: 2025

Medium: Amharic

Genre: Biography

Pages: 188

 

The book centers on the life and legacy of Kebede Anisa who served as the Editor-In-Chief of  የኢትዮጵያ ድምጽ-  a newspaper published between 1963 1970.

Most interestingly, well ahead of its final demise, the imperial government of Ethiopia midwifed a rallying motto for the forthcoming socialist Ethiopia.

Much to everyone’s surprise the motto was originated in the so-called liberal world, but imposed on the socialist state of Ethiopia for more than a decade. A book that saw the light of day later in July last year titled ‘ኢትዮጵያ ትቅደም’’ which roughly translates to ‘Ethiopia first’ once again unearthed the catch phrase to be a subject of public discussion.

Mesereteabe Kebede, son of the renowned journalist, Kebede Anisa, authored the book that revolves around his father’s life and legacy.

About የኢትዮጵያ ድምጽ (Voice of Ethiopia)

A newspaper with a nameplate ‘The Voice of Ethiopia’ was not unknown among Ethiopian elites who lived in the US in late 1940s. A paper bearing a masthead ‘The Voice of Ethiopia’ was founded by Dr. Melaku E. Bayen in Harlem, New York, in 1937. It serviced to expose the atrocities of the Fascist Italy and to garner the supports of Americans, mainly the black community, in the years between 1936 and 1941. It was published under the auspicious of the Ethiopian World Federation (EWF) and folded when the founder Melaku ceased to breathe in 1940. 

Similar newspapers published in both Amharic and English with masthead ‘The Voice of Ethiopia’ had been connected to their predecessor only in spirit. This one came to light after Ethiopians successfully expelled the fascist occupant. It was published in Ethiopia, and the entire editorial leadership was quite different from the previous one.  

The bilingual newspaper, The Voice of Ethiopia, began to circulate in Addis Ababa and other major towns from 1965 onwards.  A patriotic association that came to view well ahead of the Italian occupation, ‘Yager Fiker Mahber,’ was in charge of the paper’s publication. The association was established in 1935 with the guidance of Makonnen Habtewold to promote culture and unity in the face of a looming fascist aggression.  

The newspaper provided a platform for matured discussion on  social, economic and political topics— both local and international— and succeeded in attracting a wider readership, as various sources attest. The paper had been competitive both in circulation and quality. It was also reported to have reached a record volume of  distribution in the history of the Ethiopian newspapers’ circulation.

 

The America First Committee takes credit for popularizing ‘America First’

A motto serving clashing ideologies  

    

The America First Committee (AMC) took the credit for popularizing the phrase ‘America First’ in the 1940s. The movement of AMC was apparently a noninterventionist that opposed the US’s entry into WWII.   Current US Pres. However, Donald Trump revived the catch phrase to mobilize the American people behind him. The idea is to make America Great Again (MEGA) and keep it as a ‘world police’.

But, the coining of ‘America First’ even predates the 1940s. Library of Congress has a record on this. The phrase was used in a pamphlet authored by Walker, J.  who tried to critically look into the then  US president’s policy. Woodrow Wilson served as the 28th US president (1913-1921) and Walker questioned the administration in that pamphlet:   ”Has he been for "America first"? Has he been for the great mass of the American people, or has his administration stood in with the special interests?”

 

Kebede brought the idea of ‘Ethiopia first’ from the US where he had a profound exposure. His first visit to the U.S. happened in 1965 as an Editor-In-Chief of the paper accompanied by his counterpart Berhanu Zerihun, his counterpart from Addis Zemen. Kebede discovered that one American paper, the New York World, carried ‘America first’ as its motto. “What a captivating slogan, what if I adopt it to my own paper!” Kebede told himself as it is recounted in the book.

      

The book dedicates a chapter to explain why the newspaper chose the editorial slogan.  The idea was to inspire both public officials and the wider public to focus on the bigger picture of Ethiopia – encouraging unity and discouraging rattling over trivial and short-lived matters.

But his earnest intention was misinterpreted by a few quarters. The matter escalated and the emperor summoned Kebede at his palace. Rumors spread that the newspaper was boldly demanding the emperor to relinquish power. As it is narrated in the book, the emperor asked him to explain why he chose that particular wording. Kebede explained the reason clearly and confidently. The emperor eventually appreciated him for the good job and Kebede breathed a sigh of relief.

 

The catch-phrase that served the paper from 1965-1970 had, however, been fading out from public psyche at least for four years. No body regarded it to regain traction by the forthcoming decade and plus years.

The military junta ( aka the Derg), a collection of 120 soldiers who overthrew the Imperial regime in Ethiopia revived the slogan in 1974. Major Mengistu HaileMariam, then chairperson of the Committee (the Derg), in one of their meetings walked to a chalkboard to write ‘Ethiopia first’ in Ahmaric. On July of the same year, ‘Ethiopia first’ was proclaimed on mass media as the rallying moto of the revolution.

Heyday of print media

The book highlighted on how the Ethiopian media landscape, particularly the print media, operated during the imperial time. One can argue that the period was the heyday of the Ethiopian print media for various reasons. For one thing, the imperial government attached huge emphasis on the daily and weekly publications. Assignees at the helm of the newspapers and the professionals were well educated—most of them got their master’s degrees in reputable international universities in the US, Israel, UK and what have you. They left their lasting legacy in the Ethiopian journalism in general, for another.

There were uninterrupted and well organized institutional memory as the media landscape were favorable to both seasoned and aspiring journalists. For instance, as a senior journalist Kebede mentored protégés who had later become accomplished writers such as late GebreKirstos Desta, Fikre Tolossa (Ph.D), and late Assefa Chebo.

Image: Google 

The media context of the time itself brought an added advantage to the print media. Radio and TV broadcast had not been 24/7 as it is today. Broadcast services were limited to a few scheduled hours. Hence, the public depended on newspapers and magazines to update themselves on local and international information. It was during this time that tens of thousands of copies of newspapers were published in Ethiopia.

Some government officials who got modern education were also regarded the media in general as a vital mirror— reflecting both strengths and short comings.     Bitweded Zewde GebreHiwot who served as a mayor of Addis for about a decade  used to encourage journalists to critically review the development efforts in the city and spotlight on emerging concerns. Zewde endeavored to modernize the city by constructing standard road infrastructure, the iconic municipal building in Addis took shape during his tenure. Zewde wanted to get reflections of journalists on his projects and make use of the outcomes to rectify the mistakes. (Ethiopia Tikdem page 75).

 

But, as the book vividly showed, journalistic practice of the time did not go without challenges. Government officials usually got disappointed with the reports that the print media carried. And journalists were intimidated as a result.  

 

Kebede himself was called to the emperor’s court for the second time. This time due to his critique on the government’s reckless procurement practices. To make it more clear, the Ethiopian fiscal year ends on July 7 (Sene 30). And for much of the preceding months, government entities remained complacent–only to rush for spending their budgets in the remaining two and three months. Often, they made irrelevant and wasteful procurement just to exhaust their annual budget. Kebede  took a stand towards this daunting trend and wrote an editorial piece. The editorial piece touched officials’ weak spots and they deliberately twisted the facts and hoodwinked the emperor as if Kebede blatantly criticized the government.  

Due to this, he was again brought before the imperial court. Kebede elaborated his intentions as it was not to attack but to inform the officials in using the allotted public fund wisely and properly. Luckily, the emperor again gave him a pat on his shoulder and set him free. (Ethiopia Tikdem page 94).

But there were several times that government officials used to convince the emperor that led journalists to face some consequences.

For instance, Mengistu Gedamu, and Asaminew GebreWold were Kebede’s contemporaries, and both were renowned journalists. Their peeled eye on officials’ wrongdoings led them to lose their positions. The most courageous, at times controversial journalist, Mengistu Gedamu, was rather tolerated, at least the imperial government did not take lethal measure against him. It was during the Derg’s era that the lives of both journalists were sadly taken. Another journalist who reached to the pinnacle of journalism career was Ahadu Saboure. Lethal means of silencing journalists was not the order of the day as his own words indicated though he described the measure took by the government as “severe”.

A couple of stories that I wrote angered authorities….One was the article I did on the proceedings of the trial of the leader of the 1960 abortive coup, in which I described Brigadier-General Mengistu Neway as an immaculate officer whose courage and intellectual qualities dominated the courtroom. Immediately after publication, I was picked up by officers of the Presidential guard and secretly exiled to Asela, Arsi Province … I was treated humanely, permitted to attend church under the escort of a guard, and allowed a weekly visit by my wife, who brought me newspapers and other necessities”. (Ethiopian Observer.com April 4, 2017.)

As the saying goes, ‘from the frying pan to the fire,’ journalists were brutally treated during the Derg period.  Ethiopia lost most of its dear journalists such as Ba’alu Girma and Abe Gubegna in this period. Their killings had remained mysterious to date.

 

Mesereteab delve into the reason that his father survived the brute period. Kebede was assigned in Wollo as a program and development general manager where he worked tirelessly to mitigate the devastating effects of the famine that was ravaging the region at the time.   

Kebede and newspaper

As an eyewitness, this writer noticed Kebede’s love for the print media. Anytime you meet him, he was carrying newspapers and magazines of both local and international editions in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. If it is your first encounter with him, you may be taken by surprise when he draw half folded newspapers or magazines from his pocket to show you a recent story that backs his argument on a certain topic.

It is also recounted in the book that he used to say “If I’m shot dead, burry me wrapping up my body with newspapers. He said this during the period of red terror—a time marked by pervasive fear and killing. People lived with uncertainty during that period. Both the Derg and EPRP resorted to lethal measures against anyone who was perceived ‘enemy’.    

 Kebede upheld the principle of ‘balance’, a very important element in news reporting. Quite a few journalists in Ethiopia who work for a private media find it hard to offer constructive criticism of the government’s activities. Often, it looked like private media should take bold positions in completely standing opposite to the government’s actions. By the same token, public media sphere tend to give blind eye to government’s missteps. Here, Kebede used to advice both sides to seek a middle ground.

Kebede witnessed and reported a democratic election in the US. He was among the journalists who got the opportunity to travel to the US representing Ethiopian Voice along with his colleague Bihanu Zerihun who then represented Addis Zemen to report  Presidential elections. Comparing the media practices in the US and that of ours in 2005, he noticed that the private media fully inclined to the opposition politics and their reports were highly imbalanced. For him, such unbalanced practice would not serve any purpose other than sowing enmity among the media and incumbent governments.

 

Quotable: As Editor-In-Chief of print media: Kebede said he wouldn’t take a single sip of beer until he was utterly certain that the newspaper’s publication had begun.

Another legacy of Kebede could be starting to publish a byline. He also claimed that he started accompanying news articles by a byline in the newspapers.  Ethiopians are humble and do not want to take a credit for a job well done. This may have roots in the spirituality of the people, they often believe that a particular job is accomplished with a divine guidance and give the credit to the creator. The first editions of Addis Zemen itself did not publish the editor-in-Chief’s name.

Limitation

The book is highly relevant, especially for anyone interested in having a glimpse into the history of Ethiopian media. Kebede and his contemporaries were pioneers who set the example for later generations of Ethiopian journalists. As a journalist, this author himself drew inspiration from much of their work. If one explores the archives of the Ethiopian Press Agency, for instance, it is striking how these writers organized their stories, structured their arguments, and demonstrated strong language command. However, the book unfortunately does not give the reader adequate chance to read actual writings by Kebede and his contemporaries. Including at least some articles authored or edited by Kebede would have allowed readers to better appreciate his voice and contribution. It is the author’s hope that future editions of the book will address this gap.

 

Ed.’s Note: The author was former Editor-In-Chief of The Ethiopian Herald.

He may be contacted at workuasfaw.asfaw@gmail.com