Ethiopia: What Next After Zenawi?

Ailing Zenawi at Saint Luc University Hospital in Brussels

The charismatic strongman who has clung to power with all his might since the ouster of the dictator Mengistu Hailemariam in 1991 by the rebel group Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front (TPLF) - which he led, has died at the age of 57. Whereas the Ethiopian government kept his ailment under the wraps and few know what he was ailing from, news are strife that he may have died of leukemia or blood related complications. Though it was reported that he passed away on 20 August 2012 at Saint Luc University Hospital in Brussels, some sources claim he may have passed away as early as 30 July 2012 and the state was keeping his death a top secret to avoid a momentous upheaval to fill the power vacuum.

Sebhat Nega

Hailemariam Desalegn, Deputy Prime Minister

Azeb Mesfin, Zenawi's widow.

Already, a scuffle for power has erupted with his widow Azeb Mesfin, who held key power during her husband's tenure in office has reportedly fled to Rome, Italy in fear of retaliation from Sebhat Nega, a power kingmaker who was instrumental in bringing Meles Zenawi to power after ouster of Mengistu Hailemariam. It is believed that Azeb left the country to escape from Sebhat Nega whom she forced out of the ruling party’s top leadership in 2009. She also kicked him out of his chairmanship of the multibillion-dollar conglomerate named Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT) around the same time. He is said to have the support of key TPLF leaders even though it has been observed that he may not have any desire or aspirations to succeed Zenawi but rather he wants to restore his honor and reclaim his status as the kingmaker.

Berhane Gebrekiristos

Meles’s choice as the next TPLF chief is Berhane Gebrekiristos,and Sebhat is vehemently against it. Caught in the middle of all this power struggle inside the ruling party, the regime currently has no leader. The  “deputy prime minister,” Hailemariam Desallegn, is a puppet with no power. He is currently in China to attend some meeting though it is seen as an excuse for him not to get caught in the middle of a potentially bloody power struggle amongst his TPLF masters.