Meles Zenawi

Ethiopian politician; Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1955-2012)

AI overview

Meles Zenawi was an Ethiopian politician who served as Prime Minister of Ethiopia for 17 years, from 1995 to 2012. He led the country through a period of significant political and economic change following decades of conflict and authoritarian rule.

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Quotes

“Africa's downfall has always been the cult of the personality. And their names always seem to begin with M. We've had Mobutu and Mengistu and I'm not going to add Meles to the list.”
“..countries pretend their foreign policy is based on democratisation when this is clearly not the case. For all the challenges in Zimbabwe, for example, it is a bit of a stretch to say it is less democratic than some of the sheikhdoms of the Gulf. But none of the sheikdoms has a problem visiting Europe.”
“If it is presumed that the Kenyans will democratise in order to eat the peanuts of development assistance from the European Union... it would be a big mistake.”
“I have never heard of any convincing reason as to why we should privatize land at this stage.”
“I am proud to be an Ethiopian. I am proud to be a part of that history.”
“We believe the problem between ourselves and Eritrea will have to be resolved through dialogue, but it takes two to tango.”

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Article

Meles Zenawi Asres (Tigrigna and Amharic: መለስ ዜናዊ ኣስረስ; pronounced [mɛllɛs zenawi asrɛs] listen), born Legesse Zenawi Asres (9 May 1955 – 20 August 2012) was an Ethiopian politician and former rebel militant commander who served as president of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995 and as prime minister from 1995 until his death in 2012.

Born in Adwa to an Ethiopian father and an Eritrean mother, Meles became actively involved in politics after changing his original first name from Legesse to Meles, adopted following the execution of fellow university student Meles Takele by the Derg government in 1975. In that year, he left Haile Selassie I University to join the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and fight against the Derg (the Mengistu Haile Mariam-led military dictatorship in Ethiopia). In 1989, he became the chairman of the TPLF, and the head of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) after its formation in 1988.