Meles Zenawi&#;s interview with Paul Henze
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum constitutes a record of two extensive conversations totalling approximately five hours, on 3 and 5 April at TPLF Headquarters, 14th Street NW, Washington D.C. , between Meles Zenawi, head of the TPLF and myself. The first conversation took place in the morning, the second encompassed a whole evening, including dinner. Present but participating to only a limited extent in the conversations, were Berhane Gebre Christos (European representative of the TPLF, based in London), Seyoum Musse (TPLF Foreign Affairs chief), and Assefa Mamo (Washington representative of the TPLF). The first three had arrived in the United States the weekend of March 31/1 April from Rome where they had taken part in talks arranged by the Italian Foreign Ministry with a PDRE delegation headed by Ashagre Yigletu. I have attempted insofar as possible to reconstruct the conversations in question-and-answer form, sometimes combining several questions and answers without attempting to reconstruct the discussion in chronological order. Questions are all in bold type.
A short, wiry man in his mids, Meles speaks good English and comprehe
"Never since the likes of Kwame Nkrumah were removed from the African political scene have I witnessed an African leader writing a book while still in office." Mr Lenco Lata. That is until I came across an Internet posting of extracts from a forthcoming book by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, African Development: Dead Ends and New Beginnings. Witnessing this possible turnaround of African leadership quality hence brought back refreshing recollections of those exuberant early days in post-colonial Africa. Tragically the decades thereafter saw a steady deterioration of the quality of African leadership with the Samuel Does, Idi Amins and Bokassas replacing the Nkrumahs, Senghors, and Nyreres. The emergence of well-read and articulate leaders like PM Meles Zenawi could hence herald the dawning of yet another more promising era in African historyand is thus a cause for celebration.
“Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been ruling one of Africa's most populous states situated in one of the continent's most turbulent sub-regions for the last sixteen years. Writing a book while shouldering such a heavy responsibility is a remarkable feat for wh
'90 Interview of Meles Zenawi: on Independence, Isaias and Eritreans
- Details
- Interview
- Paul B. Henze
'90 Interview of Meles Zenawi: on Independence, Isaias and Eritreans
By: Paul B. Henze
PBH: What is your position on separatism?
MZ: We are not separatist. We want a united Ethiopia. But we do not want a centralized Shoan-dominated Ethiopia. I just read the speech you gave to the Eritreans here a couple of weeks ago. I support everything you say. I agree with you that the Ethiopian state is valuable. It should not be destroyed. It should be put back together on a democratic basis and with guarantees of freedom and autonomy for all its peoples, so it can develop economically. Federation is the only way this can be done. We are in favor of federation. This is the only way the damage the Derg has done can be repaired.
PBH: This brings us to Eritrea and the EPLF. How are your relations with the EPLF? Do you talk to Isaias Afewerki?
MZ: I talk to Isaias often. We have no disagreements now. During the s we worked together and had no serious disagreements with them. In we broke relations. The break was over different understandings of the Soviet Union.
Beyond the words of Mr. Lencho Leta: the brain behind Oromo Politics
By Minale Tebibu and Temeles Belibu
Mr. Lencho Leta is a renowned Oromo politician and think tanker. Without exaggeration, no single Oromo elite has a higher caliber, experience, and articulation of the Oromo struggle than him. He was a founding member of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and was the Deputy Secretary General of thefront from to After he left OLF in the s, he initiated the Oromo Democratic Front, which was formed in He still advocates for democracy, but a ‘democracy’ that empowers the Oromo people toward dominating the country. Hence, he is one of the leading figures fighting to fulfill the so-called questions of the Oromo people, called the Oromuma politics or the Oromuma project.
In his recent interview with The Betty Show, he openly expressed his concern about the country&#;s current status and said: “ I am worried that the system may fail, and if the country fails, it will be a shame for all blacks.” These are heavy words! Why is this high-caliber political man afraid at this time? Why now? In this short piece, let us try to reflect on the thoughts behind his words
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