Ethiopian President Refused To Ride In A Bus With Other World Leaders At The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

Mary Akanbi

24th September, 2022

On Monday, September 19, 2022, the whole of Africa felt belittled after seeing their leaders in a bus en route to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Following the death of Britain’s longest monarch, foreign dignitaries, including African presidents, made their way to the funeral to pay their last respects at the global event.

Global leaders were ordered to give up their diplomatic cars and, instead, share transport with their fellow Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings and Sheikhs as part of plans organised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to enable safe travel to the Queen’s funeral.

US President Joe Biden was allowed to attend the funeral in his armour-plated “Beast”, much to the anger of Africans using the internet. This spurred up racist sentiments as netizens echoed that their African leaders were being humiliated.

Only one President refused to be “disparaged” like that and stood her ground at the funeral.

President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia refused to be loaded into a bus at the funeral, an anomaly that has not happened anywhere.

When requested to get on the bus, she vehemently stood her ground in refusal, Iharare reports.

She said: “I won’t go like this. I need the same level of respect as others. This has many implications I have my own Embassy’s cars for the protocol.”

The British authorities could not convince her otherwise as she was non-commital, and they had to let her attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral with her own Embassy cars.