Meles Zenawi

Biography

Meles Zenawi Asres, born Legesse Zenawi Asres on May 8, 1955, in Adwa, Ethiopia, had an Ethiopian father and an Eritrean mother. His political awareness began during his university years when he changed his name from Legesse to Meles to honor a fellow student, Meles Takele, who was executed by the Derg military government in 1975. This event led him to leave his studies at Haile Selassie I University to join the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and fight against the military dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Meles rose in the rebel movement, becoming TPLF chairman in 1989 and leading the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) after its formation in 1988. After the EPRDF's victory in the Ethiopian Civil War, Meles led the Transitional Government of Ethiopia as president from 1991 to 1995, then served as Prime Minister from 1995 until his death on August 20, 2012, in Brussels. His government restructured Ethiopia along ethnic federal lines, supporting the idea that ethnic groups should keep their languages, cultures, and territories. During his presidency, Ethiopia granted Eritrea independence through a 1993 referendum, but relations later worsened into a conflict from 1998 to 2000, causing nearly 100,000 casualties. Meles continued his education throughout his career, studying at The Open University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Addis Ababa University. His leadership and policies were controversial, especially during the 2005 general election when opposition parties claimed election fraud, sparking violent protests in Addis Ababa that led to 193 deaths due to police action. Despite political tensions, his policies turned Ethiopia into one of Africa's fastest-growing economies during his time in office. He was married to Azeb Mesfin and received the National Liberation Medal in 2009 for his role in Ethiopian independence and development.