Attempted Coup Against Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia

Transcript / Shot List

Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, King of Kings, The Lion of Judah is welcomed on his arrival in Ghana with all the ceremony and protocol appropriate to one of the few absolute monarchs in the world today.

It was but a few days before the electrifying news that during his absence he had been deposed by a palace coup. Ghana's President [Kwame] Nkrumah welcomed Haile Selassie as the head of the dark continent’s oldest independent nation, and it was thought, one of its most stable government.

In all its history, however, for 3,000 years Ethiopia has never known a peaceful succession to the throne, and never has a son succeeded his father.

But now Selassie's son, Asfaw Wossen [Amha Selassie], shown on a visit to Japan last year, has reportedly headed a coup by a social reform movement backed by the army during his father's absence. But rumor, as sparse information becloud the facts.

It is certain that Selassie does not seem likely to celebrate again as he did in 1955 marking the silver jubilee of his reign.

Late reports tell of fighting in Ethiopia and the outcome is uncertain. But the absolute domain of Haile Selassie has been ended.