Inside Story- Life after Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi
He was praised for bringing economic growth to one of Africa's poorest
nations, but was it at the cost of democracy?
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http://www.aljazeera.com/profile/inside-story.html> Inside Story-Video:
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12, 2012 10:21
Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian prime minister, died on Monday at the age of 57
after more than two decades in power.
While thousands lined the streets of the capital, Addis Ababa, to pay their
respects to a politician they saw as a visionary and fearless leader - there
are others who regarded him in a less favourable light.
Zenawi was a close ally of the West and the US in particular - Ethiopia
received nearly $4bn in foreign aid last year and a total of $6.23bn from
the US alone over the past decade.
Although a carefully groomed successor is due to take over some fear that in
the absence of Zenawi's particular skills the country could begin to
fragment.
Under his leadership, Ethiopia carved out a major role for itself in Africa
and beyond - mediating in conflicts and assuming a lead position within the
African Union. It is a role, analysts now say, Ethiopia will find difficult
to fulfill.
The Ethiopian parliament has been recalled from recess to swear-in Zenawi's
successor, Hailemariam Desalegn, the deputy prime minister, who will most
likely lead Ethiopia until 2015, when the current term of the ruling party
comes to an end.
Zenawi has been praised for bringing development and economic growth to one
of Africa's poorest nations but his critics say that came at the cost of
respect for democracy and human rights.
Ethiopia is ranked 174th out of 187 countries in the UN Development
Programme's 2011 Index, which measures life expectancy, education and living
standards.
His economic policies - which mixed a large state role with private
investment - helped the country achieve economic growth rates of as much as
12.6 per cent - the fastest growing non-oil exporting country in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Despite this, the average annual income is only about $3 a day.
The country also remains heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts
for 85 per cent of employment.
Human rights groups have condemned a system in which political opposition
and the media have been stifled. That repression was codified in 2009 by
legislation that led to dozens of opposition figures being arrested and
numerous journalists charged.
Opposition members also accused Zenawi of rigging the 2005 election. In
subsequent demonstrations at least 200 people were killed by the army and
police force. And leaders of the opposition group that contested the
election were sentenced to life imprisonment on treason charges.
So, will there be a leadership crisis in Ethiopia after Zenawi's death?
To discuss this Inside Story, with presenter Mike Hanna, is joined by
guests: David Shinn, a former US ambassador to Ethiopia between 1996 and
1999; Jawar Mohammed, a researcher at Colombia University and a political
commentator on Ethiopian affairs; and Farah Abdul Samed, a specialist on the
Horn of Africa at Chatham House.
"Meles achieved a culture of Ethiopians and the transformation of the
concept of Ethiopianism itself and the way he transformed equal ethnic
nationalities, which [no one] dreamed of living together."
Farah Abdul Samed, a Horn of Africa specialist at Chatham House
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Received on Wed Sep 12 2012 - 10:35:58 EDT
