Words Kiran M Ray Photography PA Photos Pictured Ethiopians carry posters in Amharic reading "Meles We Love You" as they gather to mourn as the body of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
After weeks of speculation, Ethiopia’s strongman leader of 21 years, Meles Zenawi, was confirmed dead at 57 years old from an undisclosed illness. The news, feared to spark regional turmoil, is being simultaneously mourned by his allies and welcomed by those critical of his authoritarian leadership style. Richard Dowden from the Royal African Society recently described him as the “cleverest and most engaging prime minister in Africa”, but his alleged Jekyll and Hyde personality has helped him allude pigeonholing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Regardless of viewpoint, after dropping out of medical school at 20 to co-found the Tigrayan People’s Liberaton Front (TPLF) and going on to overthrow Mengistu’s dictatorship in 1991, his contribution to Ethiopia’s development is undeniable. Ethiopia’s average growth rate has been 11 per cent since 2004, and the country has implemented one of the best public health programmes seen in a developing country, seeing child malnutrition fall more than a third since 2000. With his deputy Hailemariam Desalegn already sworn in, the world is waiting to see how the transition will play out in Ethiopia and across the rest of the Horn of Africa.
What the world is saying…
UK Prime Minister David Cameron
“His [Prime Minister Meles’] personal contribution to Ethiopia’s development, in particular by lifting millions of Ethiopians out of poverty, has set an example for the region...He will be greatly missed.”
US President Barack Obama
“Prime Minister Meles deserves recognition for… his unyielding commitment to Ethiopia’s poor… [and] drive for food security. I am also grateful for Prime Minister Meles’ service for peace and security in Africa, his contributions to the African Union, and his voice for Africa on the world stage.”
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde
“Among his many achievements, Prime Minister Meles was instrumental in raising economic growth and reducing poverty in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles was also a powerful spokesman for Africa on the international scene.”
Bill Gates
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga
“I don’t know that [Ethiopian politicians] are sufficiently prepared for a succession: this is my fear, that there may be a falling out within the ruling movement.”
South Sudanese Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin
“It’s a very, very sad day for the people of the Republic of South Sudan and the people of the East African region as a whole. This has been a tremendous nationalist leader, a president who had always let peace come to his neighbours.”
South African President Jacob Zuma
“South Africa has always seen Ethiopia as an anchor state and a leading country in the Horn of Africa region. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had been a strong leader, not only for his country but on the African continent, acting as mediator on numerous talks, particularly in the Horn of Africa region.”