Ethiopia

There were ten Bahá'ís in Addis Ababa when the first LSA was elected on 8 November 1934. Its members were Atto Sium Gabril-ch, Atto Haila Gabril-vc, Habib Boutros, Sabri Elias-sec, Edouard Goubran, El-Saad Said, E-saad Mansour, Abdu'llahi ahmed, and Aurahil Egsabaihir. A cable announcing formation of the Asesmbly was sent to Shoghi Effendi, who replied "rejoiced, praying, love, gratitude".  Mr Sabri Effendi Elias was from Alexandria in Egypt.  He printed one thousand pamphlets in amerigna, and translated Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era.[1] The same work was later printed in Abyssinian. A circular letter of 21 August 1935 informed LSAs that spiritual meetings had been suspended due to the "present condition of Ethiopia".[2] Elias was forced to leave Ethiopia by socio-political events in 1935, but he and Mrs Elias returned to Addis Ababa in January 1944.[3]

            A gathering was held in Addis Abba in July 1950 to commemorate the centenary anniversary of the martyrdom of the Bab.[4]  Mr G.M. Bahta was secretary of Addis Ababa LSA in 1952. Other members of the LSA were Mrs Gila, Dr V. Kies, Mr Sabri Elias, Mrs Sabri, Mr Alfred Shafi, Mr Birch, Sayed Mansour, and David A. Talbot.  

The Bahá'í Community of Abyssinia, now called Ethiopia, was nominated as a consolidation Territory in Africa under the responsibility of the NSA of Egypt and Sudan NSA during the Crusade.  It subsequently became part of the RSA of North-East Africa, formed in 1956.   Holy Days and Bahá'í Marriage certificates were recognized in Addis Ababa, and the LSA obtained legal incorporation in 1955-56[5]    By 1963 there was one LSA in the country, in Addis Ababa, and seven groups (in Adua, Alamaya, Debrezeit, Dessie, Dire-Dawa, Gondar & Jimma).  There were, in addition, twelve members in other areas (Adigrat, Ambo, Awassa, Bedele, Endeselasie, Gorsum, Harar, Hosana, Kalafo, Nazareth, Wollisso, Wonji).

The Ethiopian monarchy fell in 1974.