58 Quotes by Meles Zenawi

We shall negotiate while fighting. We shall fight while negotiating, ... Whichever road leads to peace quickly will be the road we follow.

We regret the death but it was not a normal demonstration,

Since these individuals are people who have been openly trying to change the constitutional order through force and street violence, they can use the parliamentary immunity as a cover-up to topple the constitution itself, ... Thus it is imperative to lift this cover-up immediately to ensure the country's peace and stability.

I don't know what the prosecution will ask for but the death penalty is still legal in Ethiopia. On a personal note that is not the penalty I would like to see applied, ... It is for the prosecution and courts to decide, but if I have any say on it I would prefer prison sentences rather than death sentences.

What we have is a pattern of prevarication, a pattern of trying to draw out the process and consolidate the hold on our territory, ... If that's the case -- and it appears to be the case -- then the opportunities for resolving this problem peacefully could be fast disappearing.

What we have detained is people who have tried to overthrow the duly constituted government, and that in my view is treason under the laws of the country,

Over the years, I've come to recognize that democratization in Ethiopia is not just a matter of choice. It's a matter of national survival. I am deeply convinced that we either democratize and have a good chance of surviving, or if we fail to do so, we disintegrate.

Out of 60 CUD control committee members, the government decided to arrest only 25 suspected of being involved in violence,

We have our own script. We have our own calendar. We represent the greatness of Africa's past. We also represent the worst of Africa's present, in terms of poverty. It is the best and the worst of African reality.