Fears Of Instability With The Death Of Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi

The body of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is escorted upon arrival in Ethiopia’s capital early on Wednsday. Thousands of people descended on the centre of the capital Addis Ababa to mourn their leader. Reuters

Death Of Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi Likely To Affect Conflicts In Somalia, Sudan -- McClatchy News

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi, who during 21 years of repressive rule transformed his nation into a regional powerhouse, has died of an unspecified illness, depriving the United States of a key ally in the battle against al Qaida-affiliated rebels in Somalia.

News of Meles’ death in Brussels late Monday broke here early Tuesday after weeks of umors surrounding the 57-year-old prime minister’s prolonged absence, including persistent conspiracy theories that he had already died. His ruling party moved quickly to quash speculation of an internal power struggle over who would succeed him, and the capital remained calm, if subdued. Government spokesman Bereket Simon said Meles’ deputy prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, would serve as the country’s leader until 2015 elections.

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More News On The Death Of Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi

Ethiopia Prepares for New Prime Minister -- Voice of America
Ethiopia parliament to hold session after PM death -- Miami Herald/AP
Ethiopia's acting PM to remain at helm until 2015 -- Reuters
Hailemariam Desalegn to run Ethiopia until 2015 -- The Guardian
Ethiopia's acting prime minister 'to run country until 2015' after death of Meles Zenawi -- The Telegraph
African papers look beyond Ethiopian premier's death -- BBC
Dour forecast for post-Meles Ethiopia -- UPI
US: Meles' Death Loss for Sudan Peace Process -- Voice of America
As Ethiopia looks beyond strongman Meles, fears of instability -- William Davison, Christian Science Monitor
Death of a Strongman -- Dayo Olopade, New York Times
Viewpoint: Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi's death could create regional turmoil -- Rashid Abdi Religious editor, BBC/Kenya's Daily Nation

Ethiopia's Long-Time Leader Meles Dies At 57

Ethiopian Leader Meles Dies at 57 -- Voice of America

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has died at the age of 57 after months of speculation about his health.

State television announced his death Tuesday, saying he died from a sudden infection late Monday while at a hospital abroad.

Speaking with VOA (Somali Service), government spokesman Bereket Simon would not say where Mr. Meles died, or disclose the illness that led to his hospitalization.

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More News On The Death Of Ethiopian Leader Meles

Ethiopia's Long-Time Ruler Dies -- NPR/AP
Ethiopian Prime Minister and Western ally, Meles, dies -- Christian Science Monitor/Reuters
Meles Zenawi, Ethio­pian leader, dies abroad -- Washington Post
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Dies -- Wall Street Journal
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi dies abroad after illness -- L.A. Times
Ethiopian prime minister and U.S. counter-terrorism ally dies after illness, aged 57 -- Daily Mail
Ethiopian Premier Died In Brussels, Says EU Spokesman -- RTT
Meles Zenawi: Timeline -- The Telegraph

Major Muslim - Christian Clashes Reported In Ethiopia

Thousands Of Christians Displaced In Ethiopia After Muslim Extremists Torch Churches, Homes -- FOX News

Thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in Western Ethiopia after Muslim extremists set fire to roughly 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes.

At least one Christian has been killed, many more have been injured and anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 have been displaced in the attacks that began March 2 after a Christian in the community of Asendabo was accused of desecrating the Koran.

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Update: Ethiopia’s religious divides flare up in Muslim attacks on Christians -- Reuters

My Comment: Another country in which Christians are attacked by Muslim crowds.

Drought and Famine: Ethiopia's Cycle Continues

Children wait for treatment in southern Ethiopia after failed rains led to malnutrition in 2008. Jose Cendon / AFRC / AFP

From Time Magazine:

As Ethiopia remains caught in a deadly cycle of drought and famine, aid agencies warn that erratic rainfall and ever-rising food costs are compounding the problems carried over from last year's drought to leave 6.2 million people in need of food assistance, on top of the 7.5 million already getting aid from the government.

Close to 14 million Ethiopians — 20% of the country's total population — now have difficulty finding enough to eat, including, according to UNICEF, 62,000 children under five in the worst-affected areas who received treatment for severe acute malnutrition during the first half of 2009. And that number is set to rise. "There are growing concerns about the impact of relief food shortfalls on already vulnerable children," UNICEF said on Aug. 6. "As therapeutic feeding programs reach more hot-spot districts, the number of severely malnourished children receiving treatment will increase." The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) says the problem in the ethnic Somali region, Ogaden, is complicated even further due to "insurgent activity and security operations" that are disrupting trade networks and the movement of people and livestock.

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My Comment: Time Magazine was printing the same story 25 years ago when famine hit the Ogaden region and Ethiopia .... the same story again in 1992-1993 .... and (it appears) the same story now.

The only difference is that the number of civilians affected increases with each cycle of drought, political instability, and famine.

You would think that a different plan of action should be formulated and implemented. But no .... we are not learning from the past, and we are just repeating history.

Ethiopian Rebels About To Be Defeated -- News Updates

A map of the Horn of Africa, showing Ethiopia's troubled Ogaden region. Ethiopia's ethnic Somali rebels, who are based in the Ogaden, on Thursday refuted government claims that they had been weakened by a military offensive. (AFP/Graphic/Anibal Maizcaceres)

Ethiopia Rebels Deny Claims They Are Weakened -- Yahoo News/AP

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – Ethiopia's ethnic Somali rebels on Thursday refuted government claims that they had been weakened by a military offensive.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) operating in the country's southeastern region termed the charge as "wishful thinking which is far from reality and bordering on fantasy."

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More News On Ethiopia's Ogaden Civil War

Ethiopia says Ogaden rebellion on last legs -- AFP
Ethiopia rebels deny claims they are weakened -- AFP
Ogaden Rebels Counter 'Crisis' Claims by Ethiopia -- Voice Of America
Oganden rebels say will keep fighting for self determination -- Sudan Tribune