The African Union (AU) has unveiled a statue Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I its headquarters in Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa. The emperor served as King of Ethiopia 1930 to 1974. The statue was created recognition the role Haile Selassie played the creation of the Organization of African Union (OAU) in 1963. He had a vision to free all African countries colonialism and create strong and free independent countries the continent. Speaking at the inauguration of the OAU, he said: "May this union last 1,000 years." The OAU lasted for 39 years before it changed the African Union in 2002. The AU continues Haile Selassie's vision of achieving greater unity African nations.
Emperor Haile Selassie I was born 1892 an Ethiopian family that traced its roots to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. He was a highly influential figure contemporary Ethiopian history. He was a skilled politician the international stage during a time great turmoil. He helped lead Ethiopia to become a charter member of the United Nations. Ethiopia remained a country that was never colonized. Haile Selassie is revered the Rastafarian religion. Around one million Rastafarians the world consider him as a messiah who came to Earth to spread the word God. The 1973 famine in Ethiopia led to his eventual removal the throne.
