The Life and Death of Meles Zenawi

     Though it has been three weeks since it first was reported, the announcement of Meles Zenawi's death still rings in many Ethiopian's ears. For some it is a devastating confirmation of the rumors of Zenawi's health, for others it is a hesitant, but hopeful, relief. Zenawi's nearly twenty year reign is one surrounded by much controversy, humanitarian disapproval, and foreign intimacy.

   Zenawi first appeared in the political sphere when he joined the TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front) as a guerilla fighter in attempts to overthrow the then dictatorship of the Derg. Zenawi's party was successful in dissolving the regime, and Zenawi was eventually sworn in as the post cold-war prime minister in 1995. During his regime Ethiopia did experience positive growth. Zenawi was able to oversee significant upward economic mobility for the country; thus making it the leading African country in GDP growth by 2011. Another positive aspect to shine light on is the considerable reduction in infant mortality rates since the beginning of his rule. Zenawi also forged strong bonds between many important nations such as the U.S. and China. Both nations saw him as a valuable ally not only in East Africa, but the whole continent. Though despite this rapid progress, the advancements were not felt by many Ethiopians.

  Zenawi's nearly twenty year reign was notorious to being accused of political oppression, human rights abuses, and marginalization of ethnic groups. Zenawi's regime resembled that of a hybrid regime in that it appeared as a bureaucracy, but the government was actually dictated by him and his supporters who were in the same ethnic group as him. Not only did Zenawi favor his fellow Tigray people in political positions, but also in matters of aid distribution. This caused a never-before-seen distinct national divide between the Tigray, Amhara, Oromo, Ogaden, and Muslim communities. His push for ethnic nationalism over a unified nation created animosity between the ethnic groups, and in part was the reason for the divide with Eritrea. Furthermore, Zenawi in some cases went as far as re-possesing land from peasants of other ethnic groups and selling it to foreign countries. Though thousands have tried to protest and coordinate against the actions of Zenawi, their attempts have always met a forceful, violent response from the regime. When I visited Ethiopia in 2005 (1997 in their calendar) they were holding prime minister elections. Due to a ballot switch, Zenawi, of course, won the election. This sparked wide-spread anger around the country and protestors- who were mainly made up of college students- took to the streets of Addis (the capital). Zenawi ordered the military to open fire in the streets, killing approximately 200 college students and injuring more; Ethiopia was plunged into a state of crisis for several weeks. Also, even though Ethiopia's GDP is regarded as resembling a "China-like" boom, the country is still suffering with wide-spread malnutrition and one of the lowest human development scores.

 But now that he's dead, what is the future of Ethiopia? Human development and a reconnection between the ethnic groups is in many people's minds, but will Zenawi's regime have a lasting effect? This is important for the world to pay attention to because of what it means for US relations, and development in East Africa.