Se'are Mekonnen

Se'are Mekonnen (Ge'ez: ሰዐረ መኮንን; c. 1954 – 22 June 2019) was an Ethiopian army officer. He was the Chief of General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force from 7 June 2018 until he was assassinated on 22 June 2019.[1]

This article is about a person whose name includes a patronymic. The article properly refers to the person by his given name, Se'are, and not as Mekonnen.
Se'are Mekonnen
Se'are during a military parade in February 2019
Native name
ሰዐረ መኮንን
Bornc. 1954
Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Died22 June 2019 (aged 64–65)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Allegiance Tigray People's Liberation Front
 Ethiopia
Service/branchEthiopian National Defense Force
Years of service?–2019 †
RankGeneral
Commands heldChief of General Staff
Battles/warsEthiopian Civil War
Ethiopia-Eritrea War

Biography

A veteran of the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front during the Ethiopian Civil War, Se'are served as head of the Army's Northern Command and of the Armed Forces’ joint education and training department.[2] He was appointed to the top post in the armed forces in 2018 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, succeeding Samora Yunis.

Despite his partisan origins in the TPLF, Se'are was a strong advocate for the professionalization and ethnic and political neutrality of the armed forces during his tenure as military chief, remarking in 2018 that "Ethnicity, a potent force for destruction, must be discarded as it is obstacle and an obstacle to building a modern army".[3][2]

Se'are was killed on 22 June 2019 while responding to a coup attempt in the Amhara region along with his aide, Major General (retired) Gizae Aberra.[4][5][6]

The government issued conflicting reports regarding the bodyguard who assassinated the general. Initial reports indicated that the suspect was arrested. However, police later said the suspect had committed suicide in order to avoid arrest.[7]

References
  1. Reuters (23 June 2019). "Attempted Coup Leaves Ethiopia's Army Chief and 3 Senior Officials Dead". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. Fantahun, Arefaynie (7 June 2018). "Seare Mekonnen Named Ethiopian Military's Chief of Staff". Ethiopia Observer. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  3. "Ethiopia: Army chief says defense force must be nonpartisan". Ethiopian Satellite Television. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  4. admin (23 June 2019). "June 23, 2018; June 22, 2019: Dates Which Will Live in Infamy in Ethiopia". Satenaw: Ethiopian News & Breaking News: Your right to know!. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  5. Observer, Ethiopia (23 June 2019). "President of the Amhara region killed". Ethiopia Observer. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  6. "Ethiopia army chief shot dead in 'coup bid' attacks". BBC News. 23 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  7. "Ethiopia 'coup ringleader killed'". BBC. 25 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
Military offices
Preceded by
Samora Yunis		 Chief of General Staff
2018–2019		 Succeeded by
Adem Mohammed
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