A woman holds a portrait of Meles Zenawi as she awaits the arrival
of his remains in Addis Ababa. Photograph: Reuters
One
of Africa's most powerful and divisive
leaders, Meles Zenawi ofEthiopia, has died of an undisclosed
illness, raising fears of a regional power vacuum.
David
Cameron was among the world leaders who paid tribute to Meles, a towering
political figure who shaped modern Ethiopia in his own image. The country is now
one of Africa's fastest-growing economies and among the United States' closest
allies on the continent. But human rights groups condemned Meles as an
authoritarian strongman whose 21-year rule was marred by rigged elections and
the persecution, imprisonment and torture of critics.
Meles,
57, died in a hospital in Brussels on Monday after contracting an infection,
authorities said. The prime minister had not been seen in public for about two
months, and speculation about his health increased after he failed to attend a meeting of African
Union heads of state in the capital, Addis Ababa, last month.
Thousands
of mourning Ethiopians descended on the centre of the Addis Ababa as his body
was flown back from Brussels.
His
demise raises the prospect of political turmoil in Africa's second most populous
country. Kenya's prime minister, Raila Odinga, said: "One fears for the
stability of Ethiopia upon his death, because you know that the Ethiopian state
is fairly fragile and there is a lot of ethnic violence … 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."
Hailemariam
Desalegn, 47, appointed deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister in
2010, will be sworn in as prime minister after an emergency meeting of
parliament, said Bereket Simon, the communications minister. On Tuesday, state
TV showed pictures of Meles against a soundtrack of classical music. Thousands
of mourners thronged outside the airport in Addis Ababa as they awaited Meles's
coffin, some holding portraits of the late prime minister and placards that said
"We will continue what you have begun." Groups of women dropped to the ground
ululating and sobbing.
One
mourner, Rosa Betemariam, who had been living and working as a dental nurse in
the US, said: "I am devastated. I am visiting Ethiopia after not having been
home for 20 years. I am overcome by joy and sadness. I am so sad at his passing
but also amazed at what Meles has done for this country. I cannot recognise this
city. His vision as a leader has transformed Ethiopia."
Sitting
in a khat bar, where people chew the narcotic leaf, Abraham Getachew, an
engineering student, said: "As a human being, I am upset at the news of his
death. But I am not sad that we have lost him as a leader. We do not feel that
we have benefited from his leadership. Seventy per cent of students cannot find
employment. We want to play a part in the development of Ethiopia but we have
not been afforded this opportunity."
There
were numerous tributes from within Africa and beyond. The African Union, which
is headquartered in Addis Ababa, said: "The death of Prime Minister Meles has
robbed Africa of one of its greatest sons." Liberian President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf said: "Meles Zenawi was an economic transformer, he was a strong
intellectual leader for the continent."
Cameron
described Meles as "an inspirational spokesman for Africa" on global issues.
"His personal contribution to Ethiopia's development, in particular by lifting
millions of Ethiopians out of poverty, has set an example for the region," the
British prime minister said.
The
US viewed Meles as a strong security partner in the war on militant Islamism and
has given hundreds of millions of dollars in aid over the years. US military
drones that patrol east Africa, especially over Somalia, are stationed in
Ethiopia. At the end of 2006, Somalia's UN-backed government asked Ethiopia to
send troops into Somalia to try to put down an Islamist insurgency. Ethiopian
troops moved in and captured Mogadishu, but the Somali population rebelled
against what it saw as an occupation and Ethiopian forces withdrew in 2009.
Ethiopia
again sent troops to Somalia in early 2012 as part of an increased international
effort to pressure the al-Qaida affiliated group al-Shabaab.
On
Tuesday al-Shabaab welcomed Meles's death. "We are very glad about Meles's
death. Ethiopia is sure to collapse," spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage told
Reuters.
Human
rights groups have long denounced Meles's government for its use of arbitrary
detention, torture and surveillance of opposition members. Under a 2009
anti-terror law more than 100 opposition figures have been arrested; the
government insists it is tackling rebel groups that have links with al-Qaida and
Eritrea. More than 10 journalists have also been charged under the law,
according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Claire
Beston, Amnesty International's Horn of Africa researcher, said: "The 21 years
of Meles Zenawi's rule were characterised by ever-increasing repression and
widespread human rights violations. "His government stamped out dissenting
voices, dismantled the independent media, obstructed human rights organisations
and strangled political opposition."
She
added: "Ethiopia's jails are packed to the seams with suspected political
opponents - from urban intellectuals to rural farmers. Torture and ill-treatment
are commonplace. State resources, assistance and opportunities have been broadly
used to control the population. Tens of thousands of Ethiopians were forced to
flee the country during his rule."
Critics
saw Meles as paying only lip service to democracy. Opposition members accused
him of rigging the 2005 election and, when demonstrations broke out, security
forces killed at least 200 people and jailed thousands. Almost the entire
leadership of an opposition group that won an unprecedented number of seats in
parliament was jailed for life for treason.
In
2010, Meles won a further five years in office while receiving a reported 99% of
the vote in an election that the US and other international observers said did
not meet international standards.
Meles'
legacy will be debated. Under him, Ethiopia recorded improvements in education
with the construction of new schools and universities. Women gained more rights.
In the mid-2000s Ethiopia experienced strong growth, tripling in size in 15
years, which won Meles plaudits. The International Monetary Fund in 2008 said
Ethiopia's economy had grown faster than any non-oil exporting country in
sub-Saharan Africa.
But
many Ethiopians complain that his close business ties with China did not
translate into more jobs. Ethiopia remains heavily dependent on agriculture,
which accounts for 85% of employment. Per capita income is only about $1,000 -
about $3 a day.
Henok
Beyene, an artist, said: "Meles was an autocrat. Ethiopians have no experience
of democracy, we have only ever experienced leadership from autocrats. Zenawi's
genius was in how he controlled the minds of his people. He led everyone to
believe there was no alternative to his leadership by creating a climate of fear
and intimidation."
Meles
is survived by his wife, Azeb Mesfin, an MP, with whom he had three children.
State TV said funeral arrangements would be announced soon.
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