Prominent Ethiopian political figure passes away

ESAT News (October 7, 2016)

Hailu Shawel, a towering figure in contemporary Ethiopian politics, passed away on Thursday at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, where he was receiving treatment.

A veteran engineer, he played a leading role in establishing the then All Amahara Unity Party, later named, All Ethiopian Unity Party. He was also the chairman of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, that dominated the disputed 2005 elections in a landslide. The election was  rigged by the TPLF tyrannical regime and opposition political leaders and journalists, including the engineer, were thrown into jail and released two years later in a controversial pardon.

He was also a well known proponent of the Ethiopian independent press and had encouraged and supported the Ethiopian Free Press Association.

Born in 1936 in Addis Ababa, Shawel led several important projects at various government departments including, but not limited to, Abay Valley Research Project, Ethiopian Sugar Factory, Ethiopian Highway  Authority. He led the construction of the Dire Dawa Airport during the Ethio-Somali war in the 1970s, that played a key role for the Ethiopian Air Force to have the upper hand in the fight with the invading Somali forces.

He also served as the Minister of Agriculture before he went into exile in the former military regime.

Engineer Hailu Shawel is survived by his wife and six children.

Meanwhile, Professor Berhanu Nega, also a leading political figure, who was jailed with Shawel after the 2005 rigged election, expressed his deep sorrow over the death of his comrade. Nega, who’s based in Eritrea leading an armed opposition group, said Shawel passed away when his struggle had almost bear fruit. He vowed he and his colleagues would further the cause of Shawel.