First Italo-Ethiopian War Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael Wolde Melekot (Amharic: ራስ መኮንን ወልደ ሚካኤል ወልደ መለኮት; 8 May 1852 – 21 March 1906), or simply Ras Makonnen, also known as Abba Qagnew (አባ ቃኘው), was an Ethiopian royal from Shewa, a military leader, the governor of Harar, and the father of future Emperor Haile Selassie.

[16][17] At Harar, Makonnen enjoyed good relations with expatriates, including Capuchin missionaries and a growing number of Europeans enroute to the capital.

Makonnen also had a passion for firearms and was heavily involved in the local arms trade, he imported weapons, some of whom he shipped to Shewa, others he used to subdue or extract tribute from the nearby Somalis.

However ravaging and additional atrocities against the populace by the Abyssinians did not cease, the Harari people soon revolted and Makonnen marched into town with his troops, cowed the population, and imprisoned Ali.

On his way home in 1890, he stopped in Jerusalem, where he purchased land on behalf of the Ethiopian government, and the Greek patriarch presented him with a gold crucifix in which a sliver of the True Cross was embedded.

In the meantime his well equipped troops in Harar underwent raiding expeditions throughout the Somali lowlands to capture sheep and cattle to restock highland herds decimated by the rinderpest epidemic.

Ras Makonnen's Harar army took spearheaded Menelik's forces in their northern march to confront the occupying Italians in Tigray province.

Makonnen had hinted girmly that he might not come out alive during this attack, which resulted in Menelik II to order Ras Alula to prevent him from getting killed and keep watch on his cousin.

As a result, Alula and Ras Mengesha Yohannes had Makonnen under arrest at Taytu Betul's orders until the rest of Menelik's army could join the battle.

Once Menelik arrived at Mekelle, he called off the attack and had established contact with the Italian commander, giving him the opportunity to leave peacefully in exchange for surrender.

Ras Mekonnen was sent to "escort" them back to Italian lines – a convenient way to bring a major part of the Ethiopian army to scout deep into Italian-held territory.

[28][21] The Monument to Ras Makonnen previously located in Harar was sculpted in 1959,[29] by Antun Augustinčić, a Croatian sculptor active in former Yugoslavia and the United States.

[32] The event was also followed by smashing of the Statue of Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael's son and Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie in Wimbledon park, UK.