Meles Zenawi

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was reelected by acclamation, winning another five-year term in a vote in a Parliament dominated by his party. Meles' nomination by the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front and his endorsement by the new Parliament had been expected. With only four dissenting votes, Parliament accepted his request to endorse his previous Cabinet without any changes.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, who died last week after a long illness, liked to portray his country's leadership as collective. But there was never any doubt about who was in charge. As dictators go, he had much going for him. Stunningly smart, strategic, practical, he cared about his country and, by all appearances, resisted the kind of graft and corruption that has plagued many African nations. During his rule, Ethiopia's economy expanded significantly, and he played an important role in the wider region.

I found it captivating to read Meles Zenawi's column (Commentary, June 24). For long, African leadership has suffered the inexplicable atrocities by the likes of Idi Amin (Uganda), Mohamed Siad Barre (Somalia) and Mengistu Haile Mariam (Ethiopia), who have left their nations in complete chaos and disintegration. However, this time Zenawi's fresh and ambitious policy calling for change may bring Ethiopia close to democracy and even serve as an example for the rest of Africa.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Washington relied for years on Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to help crush Islamist terrorist groups in the volatile Horn of Africa. But now the charismatic strongman is gone and America's immediate concern is whether the regional fight against Al Qaeda-linked groups such as the Shabab in Somalia will drift and lose its way. Meles died late Monday after an illness that the country's leadership had kept secret for months. Ethiopian officials were at pains Tuesday to reassure the world that there would be no major policy deviations or power vacuum.

The United States will not oppose independence for Ethiopia's rebellious province of Eritrea and expects the new government in Addis Ababa to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the long secession struggle, the State Department's chief of African affairs said Friday. "If (the Eritreans) want to exercise the right of self-determination, there's nobody who's going to stop them," Assistant Secretary of State Herman Cohen said.

This capital appeared to slowly regain an air of normality Thursday as its fledgling government of former rebels ordered residents to return to work, and demonstrations against the new authorities and the United States eased. At least three new demonstrations formed around parts of the city's downtown, but none materialized in front of the U.S. Embassy, where Wednesday waves of marchers denounced the U.S. government's role in the takeover of Addis Ababa by rebel troops the previous day.

An army of youthful and remarkably disciplined rebel soldiers was in full military command of this capital Tuesday, and in London agreement was reached under U.S. mediation for the rebels to rule the country until a new provisional government is formed. Troops of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control of Addis Ababa after a dawn assault that found the city almost entirely undefended by government forces. The anxiety of the city's 2.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, who died last week after a long illness, liked to portray his country's leadership as collective. But there was never any doubt about who was in charge. As dictators go, he had much going for him. Stunningly smart, strategic, practical, he cared about his country and, by all appearances, resisted the kind of graft and corruption that has plagued many African nations. During his rule, Ethiopia's economy expanded significantly, and he played an important role in the wider region.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Washington relied for years on Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to help crush Islamist terrorist groups in the volatile Horn of Africa. But now the charismatic strongman is gone and America's immediate concern is whether the regional fight against Al Qaeda-linked groups such as the Shabab in Somalia will drift and lose its way. Meles died late Monday after an illness that the country's leadership had kept secret for months. Ethiopian officials were at pains Tuesday to reassure the world that there would be no major policy deviations or power vacuum.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi appealed to donors to help feed the 11.3 million people in his nation he said face severe food shortages. Meles said thousands of deaths could be avoided if the world takes seriously the mounting crisis in the Horn of Africa nation. Ethiopia, which has a population of about 67 million, is one of the world's 10 poorest countries and is suffering a poor harvest this year. It is also recovering from a 2 1/2-year border war with Eritrea.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was reelected by acclamation, winning another five-year term in a vote in a Parliament dominated by his party. Meles' nomination by the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front and his endorsement by the new Parliament had been expected. With only four dissenting votes, Parliament accepted his request to endorse his previous Cabinet without any changes.

I found it captivating to read Meles Zenawi's column (Commentary, June 24). For long, African leadership has suffered the inexplicable atrocities by the likes of Idi Amin (Uganda), Mohamed Siad Barre (Somalia) and Mengistu Haile Mariam (Ethiopia), who have left their nations in complete chaos and disintegration. However, this time Zenawi's fresh and ambitious policy calling for change may bring Ethiopia close to democracy and even serve as an example for the rest of Africa.

The United States will not oppose independence for Ethiopia's rebellious province of Eritrea and expects the new government in Addis Ababa to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the long secession struggle, the State Department's chief of African affairs said Friday. "If (the Eritreans) want to exercise the right of self-determination, there's nobody who's going to stop them," Assistant Secretary of State Herman Cohen said.

This capital appeared to slowly regain an air of normality Thursday as its fledgling government of former rebels ordered residents to return to work, and demonstrations against the new authorities and the United States eased. At least three new demonstrations formed around parts of the city's downtown, but none materialized in front of the U.S. Embassy, where Wednesday waves of marchers denounced the U.S. government's role in the takeover of Addis Ababa by rebel troops the previous day.

An army of youthful and remarkably disciplined rebel soldiers was in full military command of this capital Tuesday, and in London agreement was reached under U.S. mediation for the rebels to rule the country until a new provisional government is formed. Troops of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control of Addis Ababa after a dawn assault that found the city almost entirely undefended by government forces. The anxiety of the city's 2.

Ethiopia pardoned and freed 38 opposition members after international condemnation of the two-year case and strong pressure this week from the U.S. The defendants, who sent formal apologies to the government seeking pardons, had been sentenced this week to terms as long as life in prison for inciting violence in an attempt to overthrow Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Prosecutors had been pushing for the death penalty.

Declaring an end to the war with neighboring Eritrea, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said negotiations on reaching an overall peace settlement will start soon. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to authorize a 4,200-strong peacekeeping force to oversee a cease-fire and the removal of troops from the two nations' disputed border. He said a cease-fire in the two-year border war between the two Horn of Africa neighbors, agreed on in June, was holding.