The Government of Ethiopia is set to build a museum named after the late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, who took military training in Ethiopia during the struggle to end apartheid in his country.
Mandela museum will be built in the police collage in Addis Ababa where Mandela has taken military training in 1962 for three months during the era of Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Emperor Haile Selassie I.
Today the Federal Police University, and Addis Ababa Culture, Art and Museum Bureau have signed a deal to build the museum within the police collage compound found in Kolfe / Keraniyo Sub city where Mandela has taken military training.
It is indicated that the main objective of Mandela Museum is to remember and pass the history to the next generation about Ethiopia’s contribution to South Africans struggle to be free from apartheid, and to highlight Ethiopia’s role against other injustices including supporting the fights against colonialism in different African countries. It is also expected to serve as one of the tourist destinations in the capital Addis Ababa.
While Mandela (Madiba) was taking the military training in Ethiopia, one of his guards named Captain Guta Dinka, was paid by the Government of South Africa’s apartheid regime to kill Mandela.
Meanwhile Captain Guta who was assigned by the Ethiopian Government to look after Madiba discreetly, refused to kill Mandela and informed his chief General to tighten the security and safety of Mandela who latter became President of South Africa in May 1994 after 27 years in South African prison.
Using Ethiopian Passport with the name David Motsamai, Mandela doesn’t know that two military officers were assigned secretly by Ethiopian Government to look after him while he was staying in Ethiopia, according to one of the two military officers who gave his testimony in December 2013 for South African television.
Mandela’s guard in Ethiopia was promised to get paid 2,000 pounds if he assassins Madiba. Because he was scared at the time, the guard agreed initially to kill Madiba. But latter he told his boss that Mandela’s life is at risk, according to the testimony of Captain Guta Dinka who was 35 years old at the time. One Whiteman, and one commander who knows Captain Guta, have approached the guard to kill Madiba and take 2,000 pound, the guard who narrated the story on the South African TV.
In addition to supporting South Africans struggle against apartheid, Ethiopia has also trained fighters from Angola, Mozambique, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe during their fight for freedom from colonialism.