Gary James

CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

The late, H.E. Dejazmatch Amaha Abera Kassa is Chairman Emeritus of Africa 21^st Century Foundation. Affectionately, called “Prof Ras Kassa” by his students, his work in New York City was the inspiration for the founding and establishment of the organization.

Founded by the students of Prof. Kassa, the mission of Africa 21^st Century Foundation is to work to help Africa claim the 21^st century as are other emerging economies. Accordingly, the Foundation is focused on sustainable social development issues and applications targeted to sub-Saharan Africa.

Biographical Sketch

His Excellency, Dejazmatch Prof. Amaha Abera Kassa, was the scion of three major lines of royal blood in Ethiopia. Dejazmatch Prof. Amaha’s father, “Dejazmatch Abera Kassa,” was the son of His Highness Leul Ras Kassa Hailu, Prince of Selale, Senior Prince of the House of Shewa, Senior Prince of the blood, and President of the Crown Council for most of the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. Abera Kassa himself was the descendant of the Shewan branch of the Imperial Solomonic dynasty on his mother’s side, and the Zagwe dynasty on his father’s side. Dejazmatch and his brothers, Dejazmatches Wondwossen and Asfaw Wossen Kassa assembled insurgent forces against the Fascist Italian occupation in 1936, and led a daring attempt to liberate Addis Ababa in 1937 that failed. They were tricked into surrendering, and than executed. Dejazmatch Amaha’s mother (wife of Dejazmatch Abera), Woizero-hoy Kebedech Seyoum was the daughter of the Prince of Tigre, His Highness Leul Ras Seyoum Mengesha, and a great-granddaughter of Emperor Yohannis IV. She became a great resistance fighter on her own right when she gathered up the remnants of her husband’s army, following his murder, and led them into battle against the Italian Fascist occupation forces in fourteen battles before retreating into the British ruled Sudan. Following the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941, young Dejazmatch Amaha returned to Ethiopia with his mother and brothers.

Dejazmatch went on to study at Oxford, and later served the Imperial government in a variety of court positions in Ethiopia as well as diplomatic postings abroad. He served as Governor of Gondar briefly, and later represented Ethiopia in Geneva, and was ambassador to Yugoslavia, and West Germany. In the early 1950’s he worked diligently on the process of election and introduced it to Ethiopia by going from province (state) to province, empowering the people. He endeavored to help them understand that their voice counts and encouraging them to come out and vote for the one they believe has the best interest of their province.

In the early 1970’s prior to his imprisonment, he served as an advisor to the Crown Council, a post that advised the king on any major decision. Dejazmatch Prof. Amaha was also the President of the “Ras Kassa Welfare Foundation” for many years. This foundation had many services under its umbrella… Some of the works are as follows:

Renovation of churches
Opening health centers in neighborhoods
Opening schools in neighborhoods and renovating old ones
Evaluating development opportunities in rural areas
Partnering with foreign resources for support, expertise and opportunities

Following the revolution and coup of 1974, Dejazmatch Amaha was arrested as an aristocrat and relative of the Imperial family and was imprisoned for eight years. Subsequent to his release, he went into exile in the United States where he lived in New York City. The author of the Imperial Ethiopia Web pages is well acquainted with the Dejazmatch who generously shared with him his extensive knowledge of Ethiopian history, Imperial practices and customs.

His Excellency, Dejazmatch Prof. Amaha Abera Kassa, passed away suddenly on December 6, 2003. He is survived by his daughter and four grandchildren. A requiem service was held at the Medhane Alem Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Temple Hill Maryland, on Friday December 12, after which his remains were flown to Ethiopian where he is buried.