EIIPD President Professor Kinfe passes away
Addis Ababa, November 9, 2007 (WIC)
- President of the Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD), Professor Kinfe Abraham, passed away yesterday after a brief illness.
Professor Kinfe was an economist, educator, diplomat and political historian who holds Graduate and Doctoral Degrees from several European and US universities.
Described as one of the leading thinkers of Africa by the Africa World Journal [AWJ], he has been the president of the Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD) and also served as president of the HADAD International Lobby and Chief Political Advisor of IGAD.
Professor Kinfe Abraham
He has previously served as Director General of Political and Humanitarian Affairs and as Acting and Deputy Executive Secretary of IGAD.
Professor Kinfe has also chaired and convened several international conferences on themes of International and Regional Security and Conflict Management, Economic Integration and Transboundary Resources, the Hydro politics of the Nile and food security, the Ethio-Arab and Middle Eastern Relations, NEPAD and the African Union.
Born in 1950 in Adwa, Tigray State, he is survived by a son, a daughter and his wife.
Funeral of the late Professor Kinfe will take place tomorrow at the Holy Trinity Cathedral Church, it was learnt.
Obituary of the late Professor Kinfe Abraham
Professor Kinfe Abraham was born in Adwa town, Tigray State, on October 20, 1950. According to sources, Kinfe attended college in Ethiopia where he obtained his first degree in 1971. He soon left for Holland and did his graduate degree in 1973 in industrial management. He came back homeland and worked for the International Labor Organization when the Derg was assuming power. He did not stay long in Ethiopia. He left for Sweden where he was offered an international post with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Dr. Kinfe received his PhD from Uppsala University in Sweden and City University – Los Angeles in 1982. For ten years afterwards he was mainly based in Sweden.
Regarding educational background, available sources indicate that Professor Kinfe was trained in Education and Manpower Planning, Managerial Economics, Politics and International Relations.
For nearly a decade, Dr. Kinfe was involved in foreign policy issues that particularly are of interest for Ethiopian diplomacy in the sub region. As a result, he closely worked on issues that relate to Somalia and the conflict in the Sudan. In the process, he identified himself with key political actors in both countries. He was known for his diplomatic involvement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His life history indicates that he was a Special Envoy of the Prime Minister for the Great Lakes and Somalia in the mid nineties. Due to this, he frequently traveled in the region to connect to the significant political developments that were critical to peace and security in the Horn of Africa.
According to a source, Dr. Kinfe's serious involvement in the sub region probably reached its peak when he became the Director of the Political and Humanitarian Affairs of the Inter Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the sub regional political grouping that involves countries of the Horn of Africa. As such, in his two years term, Kinfe became an active participant in conflict resolution issues with his role in the mediation process in the Sudan.
Professor Kinfe Abraham was described as one of the leading thinkers of Africa by the Africa World Journal [AWJ]. He lately served as president of the International Institute for Peace and Development (Ethiopia), which is commonly known as EIIPD, and president of the HADAD International Lobby and Chief Political Advisor of IGAD. He had previously served as Director General of Political and Humanitarian Affairs and as Acting and Deputy Executive Secretary of IGAD.
Moreover, Professor Kinfe Abraham worked for Agencies of the UN System such as the ILO, UNDP, and SIDA and lectured as visiting Professor in scores of Universities and Institutions in the US, UK, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Austria, China, India, South Africa, other African countries and the UN headquarters.
The Professor also chaired and convened several international conferences on themes of International and Regional Security and Conflict Management, Economic Integration and Tran boundary Resources, the Hydro politics of the Nile and food security, the Ethio-Arab and Middle Eastern Relations, NEPAD and the African Union, and figured in the International media including CNN, the BBC, ITV, ETV, CBS, KBC and the Germen, Canadian, Swedish TV and Radio Networks.
Professor Kinfe Abraham died of natural cause on November 08, 2007
Credentials of the late Professor Kinfe Abraham
Certificate International Security Studies, Graduate School of International Relations, University of Geneva, 1996.
Ph.D. Educational Planning and Technology, (CULA), USA, 1983.
Ph.D. Race and International Relations (African and Afro-American Research - From Race to Class) Uppsala University and CULA, 1982.
FBSC Fellow of the British Society of Commerce (London, UK, 1977).
ABSC Associate of the British Society of Commerce (London, UK, 1976).
MA American Literary Studies, Uppsala University, 1979.
MA MA level diploma in Advanced Industrial Management, The Research Institute for Management Science, The Netherlands, (RVB), 1973.
BA Education, Administration, Addis Ababa University, 1971.
Internationally Published Books
1. Somalia Calling, NINA Press, Uppsala, 2002.
2. Ethiopia: From Empire to Federation, NINA Press, Uppsala, 2001.
3. Ethiopia the Dynamics of Economic Reforms, Nina Press, Uppsala, 2001.
4. Peace under Assault, EIIPD Press, Addis Ababa, 1999.
5. The Battle of Histories: The Conflict between the Unitary and Pluralist States, Magnussa Press, AWP NJ USA, 1997.
6. The Apartheid Axis: A Cultural and Political History of the Black People, 1997
7. The Missing Millions: Why and How Africa is Underdeveloped Africa World Press NJ USA, 1995.
8. Ethiopia: From Bullets to the Ballot Box, Red Sea Press, AWP New Jersey, USA, 1994.
9. Statistical Briefings of the Education Sector Support, Stockholm, SIDA 1993/94
10. Ethiopia: The Challenge of the 20th Century Education, SIDA, 1993
11. Black People, White People - A cultural History of Race Relations, AWP, USA - Forthcoming, 1993
12. Swedish Education Assistance, SIDA, 1992
13. Politics of Black Nationalism from Harlem to Sweto, Africa World Press USA, 1991
14. Statistical Digest, Stockholm, SIDA 1991/92
15. Statistical Digest, Stockholm, SIDA 1989/90
16. Professional Training for Service in the Third World, Mag. Press, 1984
17. From Race to Class Grass Roots Publishers, 1983
18. Handbook of Professional Terminology, Cosmic Press, 1983
Other Publications
1. Effective Communication, EIIPD Press, 1999
2. Africa from Dream to Reality, AWP
3. Syllabus and Training Development Manual
4. Ethiopia: Economic Prospects and Strategic Issues
5. War and Peace in the Horn
Publications Associated With
1. President, The Eye on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, Monthly Published Magazine
2. President, The African Economist, Monthly Published Magazine
3. Columnist, The Africa analysis, UK, 1994-Present
4. Columnist, Africa Events, 1994-Present
5. Columnist, South African Political and Economic Monthly (SAPEM), 1992-96
6. Columnist, South Magazine, UK, 1992-96
Recognition’s and Titles Earned
Professional Titles Earned
1. Distinguished Research Fellow of the Potomac Center of Inter-American Universities, 2000.
2. Fellow, the Distinguished Scholar forum, Tel-Aviv University, 2000.
3. Distinguished Research Fellow, the African Renaissance Institute, 2000.
4. Board Member, Institute of Strategic Studies, South Africa-ISS, 1998-2000.
5. Board Member, the Ethiopian International Institute of Peace and Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1997-2000.
6. President, Ethiopia International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1997-2000.
7. Special Envoy and Chief Political Advisor, the Somali Peace Process, Ethiopia, 1997-2000.
8. Fellow, the British Society of Commerce (BSC), 1998.
9. Associate the British Society of Commerce (BSC), 1997.
10. Fulbright Scholar, Marcues Wallenberg Foundation, 1983.
11. Alumuni, the British Society of Commerce (BSC) London, 1978.
Academic Recognitions Earned
a. Chief Political Advisor of the IGAD Secretarial on Sudan Peace Process Nairobi, 2000.
b. Chief Political Advisor of on Foreign Policy, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 1996-2000.
c. President, HADAD- The Horn of Africa Democracy and Development International Lobby, 1993-2000.
d. Special Envoy of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, 1997-1999.
e. Chief Political Advisor on the Somali Peace Process, Addis Ababa, 1997-1999.
f. Director General of Political and Humanitarian Affairs of IGAD and Ambassador at-Large for Regional Affairs Djibouti, 1997-1999.
g. Executive Consultant on the Establishment of the EIIPD, 1995-1996.
h. Senior Expert, UNDP, UN, 1994-1996.
i. Bureau Director, of HRD, SIDA, Sweden, 1991-1994.
j. Bureau Director, Research Department SIDA, Sweden, 1984-1990.
k. Director of Studies of SIDA/STC, Swedish and UN Export Training and Institute Sweden, 1976-1980.
l. Senior Expert, ILO, UN, 1973-1974.
Outstanding Invitation for Lectures from
1. The University of Cairo UAR
2. The Al Akram Institute Cairo, UAR
3. The Center for Diplomatic Studies, Cairo, UAR
4. The University of Morocco
5. The University of Tunisi
6. The University of Ankara, Turkey
7. The Institute of Diplomacy, Tripoli, Libya
8. The Iranian Islamic University
9. The Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development (EIIPD, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
10. The Institute of Ethiopian Studies
11. The Faculty of Economics of Addis Ababa University
12. The Institute of Languages of Addis Ababa University
13. The Political Science and International Affairs Association of Addis Ababa University
14. The Association of the University Students of Addis Ababa University
15. Alumni of the LLU, California
16. Alumni of RVB, Institute of Advanced Industrial Management.
Recent Key Lectures Delivered and Conferences Chaired by Prof. Kinfe Abraham
§ Security Challenges of the Horn of Africa, French Military Academy, Paris June 8-17, 2005.
§ Ethiopia and European Union, Addis Ababa University May 10, 2005.
§ Ethio-Nigerian Relations :Challenges and Opportunities, Sheraton Addis Sept. 29, 2005
§ Federalism, Good Governance and Human Rights in Ethiopia, University of Lund, Sweden Oct 14-16, Sweden.
§ Decentralization and good Governance in the Horn, Somalia Assistance group, Stockholm, October 10-12, Sweden.
§ The independence struggle of Morocco and The role of his majesty King Mohammed V, Robat Morocco, Nov 14-16 2005.
§ Integrating the African Economy , Osera, AA Nov, 2005
