Title : Haile Selassie I’s Visit to Liberia
By UnionJah Observer | April 26, 2025
Haile Selassie I’s Visit to Liberia: A Meeting of Ancient Thrones
Date(s) of Visit: 1954 (official state visit) and later in the 1960s for Organization of African Unity (OAU) dialogues.
Background
Liberia, founded by freed African slaves from the Americas, was already a sovereign African nation when much of the continent was still under colonial chains. Ethiopia and Liberia shared a special diplomatic and spiritual brotherhood, often supporting each other in the League of Nations and later in global movements for African dignity.
The 1954 visit by Haile Selassie I was monumental: it was the Emperor’s first major state visit to Africa outside Ethiopia.
A Royal Welcome
- President William V. S. Tubman hosted Haile Selassie I with extraordinary honors.
- Parades, traditional Liberian ceremonies, and grand state banquets were held.
- Streets of Monrovia were decorated with Ethiopian and Liberian flags side by side.
At that time, both leaders spoke of Africa’s destiny to rise, free and united.
Key Themes of the Visit
- African Sovereignty: They called for the defense and support of the few free African states.
- Pan-African Brotherhood: Their meeting symbolized that Africa had royal and republican leadership capable of shaping its own future.
- Economic Cooperation: Agreements on trade, education, and mutual support were signed.
“We have been preserved by the will of the Almighty for a sacred purpose — to champion the cause of Africa’s sons and daughters everywhere.”
— Haile Selassie I, Monrovia, 1954
Legacy
- Laid the groundwork for the birth of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.
- Inspired solidarity among emerging African leaders.
- Strengthened the idea that African solutions must come from African leaders, not foreign powers.
Spiritual and Cultural Reverence
Liberians, many of whom were deeply Christian and spiritually conscious, viewed Haile Selassie’s visit as:
- A blessing upon the nation.
- A fulfillment of prophecies linking Ethiopia to the destiny of all African-descended people.
- Some saw him as a living symbol of the African renaissance.
