Meles Zenawi
In 1995, Meles Zenawi took office as Prime Minister of Ethiopia, a position he would hold until his death seventeen years later.
Born on 8 May 1955 in Adwa, Ethiopia, Zenawi went on to pursue education at multiple institutions, including Addis Ababa University, The Open University, and Erasmus University Rotterdam. He built a career that spanned both military service and politics, and he was a citizen of the country he would eventually lead. He used the Amharic language and received the National Liberation Medal at some point during his public life.
Zenawi served as Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 continuously until his death on 20 August 2012 in Brussels, making his tenure one of the longer stretches in that office in the country's modern history. He died at the age of 57, having held the prime ministerial role for the final seventeen years of his life.
Quotes by Meles Zenawi
Spending one hour with Isaias is far more worthwhile, rewarding and enlightening than reading ten books.
The most stupid mistake a counter-insurgency operation can make is alienating the population. If you alienate the population, you’re finished.
The CUD (Coalition for Unity and Democracy) leaders are engaged in insurrection -- that is an act of treason under Ethiopian law. They will be charged and they will appear in court,
The CUD is responsible for the damage and loss of life that has occurred in the capital in the last three days,
The (CUD) officials who have been arrested will be taken to court, ... They are responsible for all these things.
Spending one hour with Isaias is far more worthwhile, rewarding and enlightening than reading ten books
As we respond to the assault of our enemy and defend our country, we must never break international laws. Crime can not be solved by more crime.
Africa's downfall has always been the cult of the personality. And their names always seem to begin with M. We've had Mobutu and Mengistu and I'm not going to add Meles to the list.