Seyoum Mesfin

Seyoum Mesfin Gebredingel (Tigrinya: ሰዩም መሰፍን, säyumə mesefənə, Tigrinya pronunciation: [säyumə mesefənə] (listen);[1] born 25 January 1949) is an Ethiopian politician and diplomat. He was Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 until September 2010 and is currently Ethiopia's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China.

Seyoum Mesfin
ሰዩም መሰፍን
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
1991–2010
Preceded byTesfaye Tadesse
Succeeded byHailemariam Desalegn
Ambassador of Ethiopia to the People's Republic of China
Assumed office
15 February 2011
Personal details
Born (1949-01-25) 25 January 1949
Adigrat, Ethiopia
Political partyEPRDF
Other political
affiliations		TPLF
Alma mater

Early life and education

Seyoum was trained in science and academic background, gained first at Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute and later at Addis Ababa University.

Career

Political career

He was one of the founders of the Tigray Peoples' Liberation Front (TPLF).[2] Seyoum served as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in the 1980s.[3] He was a member of the Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray (MLLT) and composed songs to honor the organization.[4] On 23 March 2013, Seyoum resigned from the TPLF Central Committee its 11th meeting.[5]

Ministerial career

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Seyoum was the Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs for nearly 20 years, from 1991 until he was replaced after the 2010 parliamentary election. He is also an executive member of the Central Committee of the EPRDF.[6] He was influential in the Eritrean Ethiopian war and on 18 June 2000, Seyoum Mesfin, and his Eritrean counterpart, Haile Woldetensae, signed a peace agreement ending the war.[7] On December 28, 2004, Mesfin made a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on the policy in the region, in particular the relationship of Ethiopia to Eritrea and Somalia.[8] In 2007, Seyoum indicated that Eritrea had breached the agreements that ended its war and Ethiopia might end all or part of those agreements.[9] He was also a member of the House of Peoples' Representatives, representing Adigrat.[10]

Ethiopian Ambassador to People's Republic of China

After leaving the government in 2010, Seyoum was appointed as Ambassador to China.[11] He visited Singapore in December 2012 to potentially set up an Ethio-Singapore Special Economy zone and expand cooperation in aviation.[12]

In 2015, Mesfin was the chief mediator of South Sudan's IGAD-mediated peace talks. He urged both sides to end hostilities and form a transitional government.[13] He launched the think tank Center for Research, Dialogue & Cooperation (CRDC), a part of the Ministry of Education, on April 12, 2016.[14]

Seyoum, was also Chief Executive Officer of the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray from 2000 until early 2009.[15] Seyoum served as the Chairman for ten years until 2011 is a member of Management Board of Ethiopian Airlines.[16][17]

Family and personal life

Seyoum is married and has four children.3 sons and one daughter[3]f

Notes
  1. "How do you say SEYOUM MESFIN?". VOA Pronunciation Guide. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  2. Berhe 2008, p. 40
  3. "Seyoum Mesfin Foreign Minister". Ethiopian Embassy. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  4. Berhe 2008, p. 219
  5. Tekle, Tesfa-Alem (22 March 2013). "Senior members resign from Ethiopia's ruling party". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  6. "List of Central Members of EPRDF". Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. Archived from the original on April 8, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2009.
  7. Makhubu (Jan 2000). "Ethiopia and Eritrea. A step in the right direction". Conflict Trends. 2000 (2): 14–15.
  8. "STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. SEYOUM MESFIN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA AT THE 59TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY". Ethiopian Embassy. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  9. Jopson, Barney (September 26, 2007). "Risk grows of Horn of Africa conflict". The Financial Times. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  10. "House of Peoples' Representatives of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia". Ethiopian Parliament. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  11. "A five-year exit plan". Africa Confidential. 52 (3). February 4, 2011. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  12. "Ethiopia: Ambassador Seyoum Visits Singapore". AllAfrica. December 10, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  13. "Seyoum Mesfin Hopes South Sudanese Peace Talks Reaches Turning Point". The Reporter. February 28, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  14. "Ethiopia: A Brand New Think-Tank, Re-Christianized From Its Original". AllAfrica. April 12, 2016. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  15. "First Lady Makes it to EFFORT's Helm". Addis Fortune. March 2009. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  16. Bekele, Kaleyesus (11 January 2011). "Addisu Legesse replaces Seyoum Mesfin as Ethiopian board chairman". The Reporter. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  17. "Executive Profile: Seyoum Mesfin". Bloomberg. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
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References
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