Ethiopia's PM Meles Zenawi dies in a foreign hospital - criticized by Amnesty International

Nashville,TN -  Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi died today in a hospital in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Zenawi has been out of sight since June this year.
The 57 year old Zenawi came to power in 1991 after his Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front overthrew the government of  Col Mengistu Haile Mariam. Born in the northern town of Adowa (where the Abyssinian forces decisively defeated the Italian army), he suspended his studies in 1974 to join the struggle. He married a fellow liberation fighter, Azeb Mesfin and they have three children.
Iron sifted and austere (incorruptible), Meles was propelled into the club of African leaders in power for more than twenty years by a landslide victory in 2010 elections which he won by 99%.  Though a self proclaimed Marxist, Zenawi opened up Ethiopia to heavy foreign investment and brought unprecedented economic development to Ethiopia. He reserved 6 million acres of Ethiopian land for foreign agricultural investment, leading to criticism that he has sold out Ethiopia to foreign interests. An ethnic nationalist, Zenawi created ethnically based regions.   A strong ally of the United States, he was praised by western leaders including Bill Clinton and Tony Blair as the new face of African leadership and was appointed as Africa's spokesman on the environment. He twice sent Ethiopian troops to crush the Somali terrorist group Al Shabbab, whom he considered a threat to his regime and to the Horn of Africa. He also led Ethiopia to war with Eritrea which cost 100,000 lives and wasting billions of dollars that could have been used for development.   Though his accomplishments on the economic development side was impressive, his human rights record left much to be desired. He has been criticized by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations for systematic human rights violations. In a statement today by Amnesty International, Zenawi was accused of repression and gross violation of human rights during his 21 years in power.
"His government stamped out dissenting voices, dismantled the independent media, obstructed human rights organizations, and strangled the political opposition. Ethiopian jails are packed to the seams with suspected political opponents-from urban intellectuals to rural farmers. Torture and ill treatment are common place. State resources, assistance and opportunities have been used to control the population. Tens of thousands of Ethiopians were forced to flee the country during his rule" the statement said.  Meles Zenawi will be replaced temporarily by the deputy Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn. Desalegn might lack the ethnic base to stay in power. He is from a small southern ethnic group called the Wolayta, while the ruling class is from the Tigray ethnic group. It is unlikely the the Tigreans will want to loose their grip on power given the ethnic nationalism currently in vogue in Ethiopia.  The once dominant Amharas seething with anger over the loss of power might also pounce. A struggle for power might lead to political instability and chaos, the last thing Ethiopia needs.    However, given Zenawi's penchant for economic development, it is amazing that he did not see it fit to construct a first class hospital in Ethiopia capable of treating all illnesses, including the one that afflicted him. It is not too dignifying for African leaders to be dying in foreign hospitals.