The President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, was the only President who stood her grounds and refused to be “denigrated” by getting on a bus to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
According to the Africa Archive, she refused to succumb to the unprecedented occurrence despite several requests.
She said; “I’m not going to give up now. Like everyone else, I deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The ramifications of this are numerous. For protocol purposes, I have access to my own Embassy’s vehicles.”
Because she was so undecided, the British government had to give in and allowed her use her own Embassy cars to go to and from Queen Elizabeth II’s burial.
This past week, the entire continent of Africa felt degraded after watching its leaders ride a bus to Westminster Abbey for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
When Britain’s longest reigning monarch died, world leaders from all over came to pay their respects. Among them were several heads of state from Africa.
Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) preparations called for world leaders to give up their diplomatic cars and instead share transport with their fellow Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, and Sheikhs to ensure their safe arrival for the Queen’s funeral.
Infuriating many Africans online, Vice President Joe Biden was allowed to show up in his armored “Beast” at the funeral. Racist feelings were stoked when internet users agreed that African leaders were being treated poorly.