{"record":{"aliases":["Kifle Wedajo"],"appointmentIds":["ethiopia-4dc73592b6e837"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":[],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/kifle-wodajo-12029cc699/","countrySlug":"ethiopia","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/kifle-wodajo-12029cc699/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Kifle Wodajo was the Organization of African Unity’s first provisional secretary-general. He later served in Ethiopia’s United Nations mission and became ambassador in Washington in 1972.","His service crossed the overthrow of the monarchy. In January 1975, as foreign minister and ambassador, he met Henry Kissinger on instructions from Ethiopia’s military government to discuss security and American assistance. His ambassadorial duties ended on 10 February 1975.","After a period abroad that included a Harvard fellowship, Kifle returned to Ethiopia in 1991 and chaired its constitutional commission. He later helped establish the Horn of Africa Peace Centre and worked on regional peace initiatives. He died on 28 April 2004."],"id":"ethiopia:kifle-wodajo","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-12029cc6996dc7d76d6d.html","name":"Kifle Wodajo","notes":[{"sourceIds":["kifle","kifle1975","protocol","embassy-list"],"text":"The U.S. protocol register dates the end of Wodajo’s service to 10 February 1975; the embassy roster gives 10 April."}],"paragraphSources":[["kifle","protocol"],["kifle1975","protocol","embassy-list"],["kifle"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-12029cc6996dc7d76d6d.html","relatedEvents":[],"relatedPeople":[],"relationships":[],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-10-29","revision":"bbba11073081519e","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-29","date":null,"id":"kifle","locator":"Focus 7, June 2004, PDF page 3","publisher":"Saferworld","title":"Remembering Kifle Wodajo","type":"institutional-obituary","url":"https://www.saferworld-global.org/downloadfile.php?filepath=downloads%2Fpubdocs%2FFocus+7.pdf"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-29","date":null,"id":"kifle1975","locator":"FRUS 1969–1976, vol. E–6, document 130; Kifle Wodajo and Ghebeyehou Mekbib with Henry Kissinger","publisher":"Office of the Historian","title":"Memorandum of Conversation, 27 January 1975","type":"primary-diplomatic-record","url":"https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76ve06/d130"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-29","date":null,"id":"protocol","locator":"Chronological incoming roster, 1943–2011","publisher":"U.S. Department of State, Office of the Chief of Protocol","title":"Diplomatic Representation for Ethiopia","type":"primary-record","url":"https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/93811.htm"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-29","date":null,"id":"embassy-list","locator":"Former ambassadors and chancery address","publisher":"Embassy of Ethiopia","title":"About the Embassy: former ambassadors","type":"primary-record","url":"https://ethiopianembassy.org/about-embassy/"}],"topics":["Organization of African Unity","constitutional commission","peacebuilding"]},"schemaVersion":1}