In response to a planned and coordinated disinformation campaign against Ethiopia, Defend Ethiopia was established in the UK on November 8, 2020, by a few individuals, community groups, and organizations with the full support of the Ethiopian Embassy in the UK.

From the very beginning, Defend Ethiopia has been committed to accommodating and working with individuals, communities, and Organizations with varied interests and aims to save the existential threat Ethiopia was facing. To facilitate this, Defend Ethiopia has organized itself into Diplomatic/ Lobby, Media, Youth, and Logistics Groups with a Stirring Group overseeing the overall direction.

The overriding and singular objective of Defend Ethiopia can be summarized as ‘ensuring the unity, security, and integrity of Ethiopia threatening her very existence by fighting the extremely organized and coordinated diplomatic, information and propaganda attack’. Despite multiple challenges, Defend Ethiopia always believed and ensured, such a lofty and honorable objective must never be compromised by any political, racial, religious, or other differences; which is still one of its main guiding principles. 

After seeing the success of the movement that started in the UK, H.E. Ambassador Teferi Melesse Desta organized several webinars with his counterparts in Europe with the aim of expanding the work to other European countries. Eventually, with the full support and guidance of H.E. Ato Demeke Mekonnen, deputy prime minister of Ethiopia and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defend Ethiopia Task Force Europe (DETF-EU) was established in April 2021.

Defend Ethiopia Task Force in Europe is a group of Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia in Europe, from all walks of life, including professionals and scholars, defending Ethiopia from pressures by external entities through Public Diplomacy with the support of Ethiopian Communities in Europe.

DETF-EU now has representation from 14 European countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Zelalem Getahun from DETF-UK served as the first chair from April 2021 to September 2022. The chairmanship rotates every six months amongst its Steering Group members from around Europe. This is to make sure representatives from each country get the opportunity to lead the group. Kitaw Yayehyirad (Switzerland) was elected Chairperson in September 2022 and will serve until March 2023.