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Distinguished Professor and Pan-Africanist Kinfe
Abraham, who was the president of the Ethiopian
International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD)
and the Ethiopian Special Envoy to the Sudanese
Peace Process, passed away on November 8, 2007 in
Addis Abeba.
Professor Kinfe was the author of over 20 books and
numerous articles on a range of topics pertaining to
conflict in the Horn of Africa, the function and
role of the Inter-governmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU). He
also served as the Director-General for Political
and Humanitarian Affairs and then as the Acting
Deputy Executive Secretary of IGAD.
Kinfe Abraham was born to Abraham Shale and Birrnesh
Wasyihun in the historic Ethiopian town of Adwa,
Tigray, on October 20, 1950, and undertook his
primary and secondary education at Atse Fasiledas
School in Gondor town. In 1967, he commenced studies
at Addis Abeba University and graduated with a
Bachelor's degree in Educational Administration in
1971. Shortly thereafter, he left for the Research
Institute for Management Science in the Netherlands,
where he received his Masters of Arts in Industrial
Management in 1973.
In 1979, he was awarded a second Masters Degree,
this time in American Literary Studies, from
Sweden's Uppsala University. Kinfe followed this up
with a doctorate in Race and International Relations
from the same institution in 1982. He developed a
wide-ranging degree of expertise in the areas of
education, economics, development, politics and
international relations.
Professor Kinfe was a staunch advocate of African
economic and political emancipation, and undertook a
range of projects for international organisations,
including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the
Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
More recently, in his capacity as the Chief
Political Advisor and Special Envoy to the Sudanese
Peace Process, Professor Kinfe led the Ethiopian
effort to secure peace in Sudan. He has also been
actively engaged in leading and supporting mediation
efforts in the Horn of Africa.
Professor Kinfe's experiences enabled him to publish
a range of books on the conflicts in the region
including Sudan: The Politics of War and Peace;
The Horn of Africa: Conflicts and Conflict
Mediation; Somalia Calling; and Ethio-Eritrean
History and War. His interest in supporting and
enhancing the processes of regional and continental
integration in Africa is encapsulated in his seminal
work entitled The African Quest: the Transition
from OAU to AU and NePAD.
In this book he outlined the historical evolution of
the Pan-African movement from its inception, and
analysed the obstacles and challenges to
implementing its ideals. He also discusses the
opportunities that Africa should embrace in order to
accelerate economic and political integration.
Professor Kinfe's interests in development
encouraged him to pen a critique of the emerging
global order and corruption in Africa in a book
entitled The Missing Millions: Why and How Africa
is Under-Developed. His credentials as a Pan-Africanist
were illustrated by his committed advocacy of
continental integration. Some of his earliest work
documented, analysed, and contrasted black
nationalism in the United States (US) and Africa,
and led to the publication of The Politics of
Black Nationalism: From Harlem to Soweto.
It was no surprise that he was a sought-after
speaker who delivered speeches at international
events and institutions in countries ranging from
the US, UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, Israel,
Norway, China Austria, India, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa, Sudan, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya and
Djibouti. He had also chaired and convened
several international conferences on themes like
international and regional security, conflict
management, economic integration, transboundary
resources, the hydro-politics of the Nile River
Basin, the Ethio-Arab and Middle Eastern
relations, NePAD, and the African Union (AU).
The late Professor Kinfe, who is survived by his
wife, daughter and son, will undoubtedly command a
place in Africa's intellectual history, and his
status and legacy as a leading Pan-Africanist is
secure. The Africa World Journal (AWJ)
described Professor Kinfe as one of the leading
thinkers of Africa. He will remain an inspiration to
current and future African thinkers. His prolific
research output and his rich intellectual life have
set the standard for Africa's aspiring young and
emerging scholars.
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