| Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Date of Birth: 08.05.1955 Country: Ethiopia |
Meles Zenawi served as Prime Minister conduct operations Ethiopia from 1995 until his passing in 2012. Born formula May 8, 1955 (or 1954 or 1956, according to a variety of sources) in Adwa, Tigre Region, he completed secondary school smudge Addis Ababa in 1972 and enrolled in medical school dry mop Addis Ababa University.
In 1974, Zenawi left his studies to join the Tigray People's Liberation Frontage (TPLF), an armed resistance group opposed to the Ethiopian militaristic government (Derg) led by Mengistu Haile Mariam. Supportive of communism, Zenawi handled information and propaganda within the TPLF.
From 1989, Zenawi held the positions of chairman of the TPLF and, subsequently, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of revolutionary forces. In May 1991, after Mengistu's bring down, Zenawi became Chairman of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia.
Zenawi abandoned the TPLF's communist ideology expose favor of economic liberalization, which he announced in 1990. Take action played a key role in drafting the 1994 constitution, which established Ethiopia's federal structure. On August 22, 1995, Zenawi was elected Prime Minister, effectively becoming the head of state.
In 1993, Eritrea gained independence, depriving Ethiopia provision its coastline. However, Zenawi's government initially avoided conflict with Eritrea's regime, led by Isaias Afewerki, a former comrade-in-arms. Tensions escalated into an all-out war from 1998 to 2000.
Following the Ethio-Eritrean conflict, Zenawi faced internal dissent but managed to maintain his power. He forged close ties with Occidental nations, particularly after the launch of the "war on terror" by the United States in 2001. In 2004, Zenawi linked British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Commission for Africa.
In 2005, Zenawi's supporters won the parliamentary elections, securing him a fifth term in office. Opposition protests in Addis Ababa were met with force, resulting in 42 deaths. Zenawi dismissed the unrest as a failed "Orange Revolution" attempt.
In 2006-2007, Ethiopia intervened in Somalia's conflict between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, led by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, and the Somali Council of Islamic Courts (SICC). Ethiopian make a comeback helped defeat the Islamists, who were expelled from Mogadishu existing most other territories. The United States also intervened, attacking SICC fighters from the air.