ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Associated Press) — Ethiopia’s longtime ruler and most powerful figure, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, is not attending an African Union summit that opened Sunday in Ethiopia, which further fueled speculation that he might be seriously ill.
About three dozen African heads of state and government gathered in Addis Ababa on Sunday, but Meles did not attend the meeting — a first since he assumed office in 1991.
Meles was expected to open the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) meeting on Saturday. But Senegalese President Macky Sall opened the gathering instead, telling participants that Meles was unable to be present due “to health conditions.” Sall wished Meles “good health.”
The most recent images of Meles aired by state-run Ethiopian Television showed him noticeably thinner. Opposition websites are claiming that Meles is being treated for a serious illness.
The government declined to comment on the matter.
Ethiopia’s parliament was set to hear from Meles last week when the country’s lawmakers were scheduled to approve Ethiopia’s current fiscal budget, which began July 8, but Meles did not address parliament.
Meles in 2010 promised to step down by 2015. Hailemariam Desalegn was named deputy prime minister. He is also the country’s foreign minister.
11 thoughts on “Ethiopia’s dictator a no-show at African Union summit – AP”
The frog fails to attend an AU meeting in Addis and the Associated Press journalist thinks “that he might be seriously ill.” What other reason is possible? He is terminally ill and unable to show his ugly face to the world. Good riddance!
I think the anti ethiopian alian Meles is dead or severely incapcitated. See below from aiga the plathora of angush. Ethiopia shall servive despite the adwa tigre historical sabotage of the ethiopian wellbeing.Now, the big problem would be if again the tigre chose to replace him with another tigre and the country will explode in caos.According to Waldeba sources the monks has promised the revange from God mircale aganist the tplf and appears the miracle is swfit and fastter than the tplf bullet.
Meles ad infinitum
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By Aesop 15/07/2012- Meles!” this is how everyone (friend and foe) enclosed in every quarter of their privacy address our beloved brother-Meles Zenawi. I happen to be among those who advocate “anti-personal cultism”. A willing subjugation to individuals counts as idolatry (a sin); a forced subjugation to individuals counts as slavery. However, it is proper to admire individuals who embody distinction. It is our culture to bestow people who depict “relative merit” with praise. Indeed, compared with his peers (previous Ethiopian leaders), Meles is: “simply the best!”
Meles could be the best for a number of reasons. It is easy for most people to point at personal attributes such as intelligence, oratory, work ethic, reading habit (education), etc. Surely, these are desirable traits a leader should muster. However, when comparison is the criteria, a careful commentator would prefer to avoid them at the outset. This is because one lacks control variables. For example, nobody measured how many “ayale metshifit” (books) Col. Mengistu “magelabet” (has read) or how intelligent the “Imperial Majesties” were (Lets dare and compare Emperor Meiji with Tewodros/Yohannes, Minilik with Roosevelt, Haile Selassie with W. Wilson and/or Lenin, Mengistu with Deng Xiaoping or Lee Kuan Yeew ). Besides, no one can possibly compare “Meles” with living leaders like Obama, Singh, Putin or Mugabe for that matter (Let just say, they’re busy!). In short, personal qualities are neither valid nor reliable variables.
There are, however, other “control-friendly” variables that one might employ to compare “Meles” with other political leaders. The first pertains to “abdication”. All Ethiopian leaders (except perhaps for the “legendary” Kaleb and Lalibella) never declared they will step down from power. They were “forced” by rivals, by time and/or by accident to abdicate. This is, indeed, the “close to miracle” reality (besides the Great Dam) that the toxic opposition finds too hard to swallow. Political power is not the “holy grail”- it belongs to the people.
The second variable (attribute) is: “praxis”. In a nutshell this means: “theory and practice coordination”. No Ethiopian leader/leadership has defined the country’s political, economic and social bottlenecks as the party led by “Meles” (EPRDF). Ethiopia’s primary political bottleneck was “ethnic and religious inequality”, its economic problem is “rural farmer underestimation” and its major social problem was “cultural hegemony”. No Ethiopian leader/leadership has ever identified “ethnic federalism”, crafted “the ADLI” and “different cultural outlets” as a political, economic and social panacea that shackled the country. Above all, no leader (or leadership) has ever demonstrated/consolidated: “the FDRE”, “double digit economic growth” and “highest expression of cultural diversity” in Ethiopia. This will be the “historical legacy of the EPRDF-as led by Meles”. This is the “leadership record” subsequent generations are called for to outmaneuver.
Over the last 20 years Ethiopia was led by a party (led by Meles) who: “Know the problem, identify the solution and “do” something (the right thing) about it”. This is Praxis! Perhaps, the most distinctive feature of the EPRDF is ACTION. Other political parties (and leaders) talk but “never walk”; the EPRDF “climbs” steep mountains. But I’m not comparing “Meles” with failed parties but with those who ruled over Ethiopia. Some of the “past leaders” managed to identify “some” problems but failed in action. But most have failed to even identify the problem and waited until the problem (or natural causes) consume them. Haile Selassie knew what the youth wanted and what the military was conspiring upon. However, he failed to reform- hence, was toppled. Tewodros identified “backwardness” but failed in action. Mengistu’s failures were in both fronts-a schizophrenic “little Tewodros” who left for Zimbabwe when reality hit on May 1991.
So, at least in two aspects, namely: “honorable abdication” and “effective praxis” distinguish Meles from his predecessors. Having said this, however, one must raise the classic nature-nurture controversy. Is “Meles” naturally “Meles” or did his environment shape him? This question should be addressed in the affirmative. It is the environment! A community that is “really” oppressed is sharpened by its predicament and admits “nothing” more than effective/efficient leadership. If “Meles” is the fish, the party is the lake and the people are the sea. In other words, “Meles” is the child of the sea. That is precisely why Legesee Asfaw tried to “dry the sea” and that is why the Derg tried to employ “the scorching sea technique”.
Fortunately, the sea is full and the land is green. In other words, there are thousands of “Meleses” flowing in the sea. In fact, there are more than 33 aquariums (or universities) which depict these “dekikan tebiban” studying night and day, achieving high grades, inventing and winning scholarships elsewhere. Actually, they have been more fortunate than “Meles” for the environment has allowed them (unlike Meles) to “graduate”, “post-graduate” and pursue their dreams. In sum, if the toxic opposition is scared of “one Meles”, they should “buckle up” and stay prepared to met “Meles ad-infinitum”. Thanks to opportunities (peace), Ethiopia is producing “countless” Meleses every year”.
I like how Aiga is not afraid of showing its ignorance. I do not think Aiga knows the history of Sysenyos, Fasiledes etc who abdicated power. Even in recent times, it should have been easy to remember Minilek’s peaceful transition of power.
Anyway, they and their tyrant will be over soon. Hopefully we don’t have to suffer from such willful ignorance ever again.
A fully democratic system should be able to weed out the ignorance and stupidity we had to bear from TPLF/Dedebit for 20 years.
I,hope Melesse is dead,dead and dead…
May the father of all evil, Meles live on his deathbed for eternity with bed soars and be haunted by the souls of all his victims and deafened with the cries and agonies of his victims parents, children and the siblings of his victims.
Hey you Yewaldeba Sequar!!!
You want to bet? He will come out even more robust and as indomitable as our black lion. Let’s you and I have a wager on this one!!
Anonymous replies:
July 16th, 2012 at 7:18 AM
Tekle,
You’re a Devil worshiper! Dictator Meles, besides looting the country, he has the blood of millions of innocent Ethiopians and Somalis on his hands. I feel sorry for your soul. People like you are a deadly cancer to democracy. Just like you who can’t think critically and can’t differentiate between right and wrong, the other world known evil Adolf Hitler had his supporters too.
Jegnaw replies:
July 16th, 2012 at 8:48 AM
Tekle the Termite
i bet you are shitting on your self as we speak thinking what will happen to me and my family when TPLF goan for good out of Ethiopia?I’ll tell you,you will be going back to your Termite hole where you and your likes came from.like they say shallow water makes a lots of noise. keep thinking Axumawit wan be.
Black lion my a$$ ,it is more like black termite.you have not evolved that high up on evolutionary scale as lion yet so you will remain as Termite that needs to be fumigated like Termite…
the deeply depressed are just the walking, waking dead like Melese Zenawi Toxic people are like Cancer. If you keep them in your life, they will destroy your dreams, hopes and ambitions
THANKS That was the worst part about having cancer, sometimes The physical evidence of disease separates you from other people this is good for all ethiopian peoples melese zenawi walking, waking dead
MELESE ZENAWI Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who becomes their disease. I know so many people like that disheartening. Like, cancer is in the growth business, right?celebrate processing
Go to Hell where you certainly belong. You will be pay the ultimate price for the crime you committed on earth – you have to face the almighty – burn in hell!!
Good riddance – Ethiopians of all colors, creed and religion will celebrate your death. Your criminal enterprise will be destroyed and criminals associated with you will be brought to justice – the justice that eluded Ethiopians during your 21 years of reign of terror under your brute tyranny.