Makonnen Endelkachew

Who was Makonnen Endelkachew?

Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew was an Ethiopian aristocrat and Prime Minister under Emperor Haile Selassie. Makonnen was born in Addisge, the nephew of the noted Shewan general and politician Ras Betwoded Tessema Nadew, who introduced him to Emperor Menilek II. He was a member of the alpha class of the Menelik II School in Addis Ababa when it opened in 1908.

John Spencer describes Makonnen as "a mountain of a man, weighing nearly 300 pounds, and with a high-pitched voice." Despite this unimpressive appearance, Spencer notes "he was a particularly affable, indeed, gentle and kindly man, not given to the acerbities associated with sharp intelligence." He was a published author, having written a novel, and a booklet on the Second Italo-Abyssinian War and Fascist atrocities.