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Ethiopians bury former ruler
AFP–Tens of thousands of Ethiopians mourned Sunday the late strongman Meles Zenawi, in the first state funeral staged for a leader of the Horn of Africa nation in more than 80 years.
Followed by giant crowds, Meles’ flag-draped coffin slowly processed through the capital from the National Palace to the vast Meskel Square, his family dressed in black following behind, many in tears.
The coffin arrived on top of a horse-drawn carriage adorned with white flowers and pictures of Meles — who died last month aged 57 — as a boy and young man, before the casket was placed on a stage above the giant crowd.
Religious leaders from Ethiopia’s Christian Orthodox Church, dressed in flowing embroidered robes and carrying red and gold velvet umbrellas, held prayers for the sea of mourners.
Ethiopia’s deputy Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, who will lead government until national elections in 2015, sat right behind the coffin, and welcomed the many African leaders and foreign dignitaries who are attending.
“The late prime minister was working not only for the renaissance of Ethiopia, but also for the renaissance for all of Africa,” Hailemariam said in a speech after prayers.
“All his initiatives will keep going forward, all the transformation plans will progress,” he promised.
Presidents of all Ethiopia’s neighbours — with the exception of arch-foe Eritrea — attended, including Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh, Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, and Somalia’s Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
South African President Jacob Zuma said Africa had “lost one of the greatest sons of the continent”, while Paul Kagame of Rwanda said Meles had “led a humble and simple life, but very meaningful one.”
Benin’s president and current Africa Union chairman Thomas Boni Yayi hailed Meles’ “driving force” in efforts to end conflict, while US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice praised Meles — a key Western ally in a volatile region with Al-Qaeda linked groups — for his “selfless” efforts.
“Even as we argued whether about economics, democracy, human rights, regional security or our respective foreign policies, I was always struck by two things, Meles was consistently reasoned in his judgments and thoughtful in his decisions,” Rice said.
Senior officials from China and the European Union were also attending. Thousands of soldiers stood guard as the ceremony progressed, some of them crying.
The funeral ceremony was to move later to the capital’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, where Meles will be buried. Meles died in a Brussels hospital on August 20 after a protracted illness. He had not been seen in public for two months, spurring rumours about his health.
The former rebel turned regional strongman took power in 1991 after toppling dictator Mengistu Hailemariam, remaining at the helm of Ethiopia — a relatively stable country in the volatile Horn of Africa region — until his death.
But while he was credited with bringing about widespread economic growth, rights groups criticised him for what they said was a crackdown on opposition groups and journalists.
His successor Hailemariam will be sworn in after Meles is buried, although no date has been fixed. He is a relatively unknown politician who hails from the south, unlike many of the country’s political elite who are from the north.
While Ethiopia has hosted a series of state funerals in recent decades — including that of popular musician Tilahun Gessesse in 2009 — the last leader to be so honoured was Empress Zawditu in 1930.
Ethiopia’s last emperor Haile Selassie, who was murdered in 1975 by coup leaders, is also buried at Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Ethiopians in the Washington Metropolitan Area
Paid homage to the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi!
Washington D.C., September 2, 2012
More than two thousand Diaspora Ethiopians mourned the untimely and sudden passing of Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi by paying homage to him on Sunday at the chancery of the Ethiopian
embassy in Washington D.C.
Community members from the Ethiopian Diaspora, expressed their profound shock and anguish at the sudden demise and untimely death of the visionary leader and paid tribute to his distinguishing
leadership acumen and his over-arching benevolence, magnanimity and wisdom encapsulated by his far-reaching dreams.
Representatives of the Diaspora community presented wide ranging statements of eulogy by
enumerating the phenomenal and monumental tasks the premier had accomplished during his life span.
They praised the late prime minister for changing the nation in a positive fashion for good.
Members drawn from the youth and women’s associations and individuals lauded the late PM
Meles as a leader endowed with many characteristics dubbing him as an honest, down to earth,
honorable, well respected, passionate, compassionate, charismatic, intelligent and visionary leader.A contingent of State department envoys and former officials of the UN- ECA and the World Bank attended the function and recounted personal stories fittingly describing the late PM as an
exceptional leader who stood for peace development and democracy.
Members of the D.C, Ethiopian Community presented poems and gave touching speeches on the life of Prime Minister Meles. Rahel Yifter, a young girl at one point brought the mourners to their feet and triggered profound tears when she proclaimed, “We will put Meles’ legacy in the inner core of our hearts.” Moving poems recital occasion drew the limelight by energizing and reinforcing determination of the attendees to embrace Meles’ legacy and to realize his vision—to see a peaceful and prosperous Ethiopia.
UTNA, rep reminisced the engagements the late PM had with members of UTNA i.e. Union of
Tigreans in North America, a civic organization whose existence came a year ahead to the
emergence of the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front /TPLF/ described the late Prime Minister as,
“an avid supporter of education who tirelessly advised those he met for the need to transform
themselves in order to better serve their motherland and reap the fruits for themselves.
Representatives from the Eritrean Democratic Congress and the Orthodox Christian denomination in North America read messages of condolences and affirmed their solidarity with the Ethiopian people. The Eritrean Democratic Congress offered its solidarity by saying “Peace loving Eritreans equally mourn the death of Prime Minister Meles with you.
In closing, the entire members pledged and expressed their commitment and determination to
redouble their efforts in helping Ethiopia, solemnly declared to stand in unison and start working
towards the realization of the great vision that Meles harbored for Ethiopia by shouting an oath
pledging to fulfill the grand dreams of the late PM Meles Zenawi. Finally the two thousand strong
mourners went out in throngs stood in the premises of the Embassy singing the Ethiopian national anthem and raised their hands aloft and with candle light vigil eulogizing the late PM pledging to pay all sacrifices so that the vision of the great and paramount leader shall be immortal for eternity.
The so called ‘Ethiopian military’ is crying in tigirigna. Check out Aljazeera’s news clip on Ethiotube. Is the language of crying tigirigna in the military? TPLF and their loyal ethnic supporters are not crying for meles. They are crying for themselves because they know very well what his death means for them. They know full well that it is the real beginning of the demise of the TPLF as they know it. Every one of them knows this fact in the heart of their hearts and that is what makes them wail like never before in their lives. Even a person who lost his/her loved immediate family member would never wail like the TPLF members and their loyal ethnic supporters are doing. TPLF and its loyal ethnic supporters know what it means; namely, the game is OVER.
TPLF annouced today that it is holding a meeting of the executive council of its facade grouping EPRDF tomorrow. However, the much anticipated naming of a successor to the late PM is not even on the agenda. There is no more urgent agenda item today in Ethiopia than naming a successor for a vacant PM position. The TPLF knows very well that the Ethiopian poeple and the entire world are watcing closely and the position must be filled in with utmost urgency. Though the ethnic and secretive nature of the TPLF wouldn’t allow it to level with the Ethiopian people, there is no doubt that the main and probably the only agenda item at tomorrow’s meeting is the selection of a PM and the rest of the items are intended just to provide a cover. The other reason why they didn’t want to announce it as an agenda item might be because there is something fishy going on. This most likely has to do with the fact that there is no consensus yet as to who would be named to succeed meles. By not announcing it as an agenda item, they are leaving themselves a leeway in case they fail to agree on a candidate at the meeting. It is also intended to officially gauge on record where everybody is standing on this issue. Tomorrow’s meeting might just be the first in a series of planned meetings until agreement is reached by acquiescing or arm-twisting. Surely there will be lots of wranglings, arm-twistings and backdoor dealings and counter-dealings among the various TPLF factions with each side attempting to solicit diplomatic supports from the US, UK, and EU diplomats and power corridors in back offices in their capitals. In the meantime, the puppet fake organizations (ANDM, OPDO and SEPDM) will be left with no choice but to watch from the sidelines without having any say and with no string to pull to influence the outcome. They will be told to wait until a winner faction emerges from the TPLF and then fall in line. It is certain that the drama will kick off tomorrow officially but what is uncertain is when and how it will end officially or unofficially.
Whichever faction comes on top, H/Mariam’s fate seems a done deal as he has the backing of the West led by the U.S. H/Mariam is going to be the horse at least for now and the question is who is going to sit on the saddle holding the bridle. The other question is how long is H/Mariam willing to carry them around on his back or is he going to stand up to them with the winking from the U.S. Is the U.S. going to leave H/Mariam to fend for himself or are they ready to go the distance it takes to help him be a man of himself? It seems to me that the U.S. has now a vested interest in helping H/Mariam stand on his own feet because it has already put its credibility on the line by openly pushing for H/Mariam’s succession. What will be impact of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election on this policy? Time will tell and the democratic forces have to consider all options and make good judgements to influence the outcome that can better guarantee democratic reform and peacefull transition to democracy. This is a God given opportunity for the Ethiopian people and democratic forces within and outside the TPLF/EPRDF have to be ready and able to seize it.
EPRDF- Almost all opposition groups in Ethiopia do appreciate the democratic space the EPRDF government has ensured for all to play. Their beef with the EPRDF is not so much about space. They know no one is blocking them from going around the country to talk to people. They just do not want to go outside Addis Ababa. In fact they seem to bet their luck on flying to Washington DC and reaching out to foreign embassies. So it was not the Meles government or the EPRDF government that has narrowed the space for the opposition but their own limited scope of understanding that the power lies with the people. The West can help Ethiopia’s progress and partner in the great scheme of efforts to establish a vibrant multi party system. In my opinion all legal oppositions must make a sincere effort to start bottom up and not top down approach.
የኢህአዴግ ሥራ አስፈፃሚ ኮሚቴ ትንናት ተሰብስቦ አዲስ ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር ሰይሞ ለፓርላማ ያቀርባል ተብሎ ሲጠበቅ መለስ ዜናዊን የሚተካ አዲስ ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር አልሰይምም ሲያምራችሁ ይቅር ብሏል:: እንዲያውም ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር የመመደብ ጉዳይ “ለጋራ ዓላማ በሚደረግ ትግል ውስጥ አንድን ጓድ ይበልጥ መስዋዕት ይከፍል ዘንድ ከመመደብ ያለፈ ትርጉም የሌለው ቀላል ጉዳይ” ስለሆነ መስከረም ከጠባ በኋላ ይታያል ብሏል::
ሃይለ ማርያምዪ አሳዘኑኝ
It is a travesty. Susan Rice and a bunch of african dictators talking and sharing the same language praising a brutal tyrant. Susan Rice who is accusing al Bashir of Sudan of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity on the one hand is sharing the same podium only minutes apart to praise another commerade-in-crimes of al Bashir for his atrocious deeds on the other hand. Al Bashir is indicted by the international criminal court (icc) for these crimes and an arrest warrant has already been issued. It is not surprising that the other african dictators are praising tyrant Meles because he was one of them. But how come susan rice and al bashir share the same forum, podium, feeling and words to commend the indefensible and horrendous acts of the terrorist dictator Meles? Al Bashir is a wanted fugitive criminal. Susan Rice is sharing a podium with al bashir to say nothing different but ditto. What would susan rice do in the league of criminals and dictators unless she has something in common with them? This shows that there is something wrong and dishonest in the praise. It must be one of the lowest points susan rice has come to experience in her despicable and shameful carrier.
Well, Meles has gone — and for good.
He has left a legacy to be judged by history and the Ethiopians. Some of us complained about why they had to keep him unburied for some ten days while others would have equally, if not more, argued why they had to bury him without an autopsy if he was made to rest the day after his coffin arrived from Belgium. This is what we have become after nearly four decades of massive diaspora history.
Some complained why Ms. Rice had to share the same podium with President Al Bashir. Some condemned why so many African leaders attended the funeral while other attributed it to decorators attending a dictator’s burial ceremony. Where do we really stand, ladies and gentlemen? Dictionaries used to dehine the word “hunger” by citing Ethiopia as the only example to that effect. Now, the world is about to attach a new attribute to us — “empty talk”. When H.E. President Obama called Deputy PM Haile-Mariam Dessalegn, some were furious about the incident. Could all this be a lesson to many of us why they have ignored us — probably rightly so — there before their eyes in Washington, DC?
Is it probably because we don’t make any sense at all? Are we serious in our thoughts and words or simply barking because we are out of our hourly-pay temporary jobs?
Stop criticizing — Let us be creatures of action!