In the early 1960s, Emperor Haile Selassie appointed Ketema Yifru, a young Pan-Africanist, as the head of Ethiopia's foreign ministry, a decision that would have a massive impact on Ethiopian foreign policy. Ketema's rise to the top of the foreign ministry saw a once-isolated Ethiopia emerge as a major player in African politics.

This book chronicles the remarkable life of Ketema Yifru, who was born to humble parents in the rural town of Gara Muleta in eastern Ethiopia. Though he held many positions in the government, Ketema is best known for his achievements as head of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He supported freedom fighters, including Kenneth Kaunda, Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta, and Robert Mugabe. Ketema also played a pivotal role in the creation of the OAU and was instrumental in finding solutions to various conflicts across the continent.

He successfully convinced the Emperor to join the nonaligned movement and was a progressive-minded advisor who urged the Emperor to create a system of government that would empower the Ethiopian people to govern themselves. .