Strange Times

           In Ethiopia, one of the most important political events in the past 20 years happened about two weeks ago. The Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, passed away. He had been the Prime Minister for decades and is greatly responsible for the economic growth Ethiopia has seen in the past 10 years. He started a 5-year plan, a few years ago, that aimed to improve just about every facet of Ethiopia and it is moving the country in a positive direction. As with any political figure, there were groups who adored him and others who were more critical. No one was quite sure what the response would be to his death but one thing was certain, it would be an interesting time to be in Ethiopia.

            From a personal standpoint, I had no idea what to expect in terms of a reaction from the people of Ethiopia. In my limited experience, it seems like most people are so caught up in the daily grind of trying to survive that there is no time to activity participate in politics. There are many people struggling but that is suddenly common around the world. The country has most definitely seen harder times and there is a resilient spirit here. But overall, working to feed your family and keep a roof over your head takes priority over everything else.

            To be here and see the reaction from the people has been an unique experience. When the news first broke, every where I went, people would ask me, “did you know that our Prime Minister died?” There was a definite sorrow that I did not expect, like it was a close and personal lost. In my lifetime, I have never experienced being in a country when an acting leader dies. I do not know if this is the normal reaction, but I was definitely taken aback. This was not some distant man who had only ever been in their homes through TV, this was the personal lose of an intimate friend. People were glued to the TV as all the stations aired various reports and histories of his life. Everyone was caught up in the moment. When his funeral was on TV, the country literally stopped. Coffee and food stopped being served. Merchant stopped selling. Everyone stopped to witness their Prime Minister’s last appearance. As an outsider, it was a surreal experience. I sat in a café, watching these people truly grieve.

            The following Saturday, some volunteers and I went to a nearby big city, Nazret, to pick some things up. As we were waiting for the Ethiopian who was going to show us around, we began to hear this rumble. We looked to our right and suddenly, there were 50 motorcycles riding down the street. The people on the back were waving flags and hold pictures of Zenawi. That was followed by hundreds of Bajaj’s (small three wheeled taxis), all of which had flags and pictures hastily strewn about them. There were a few full sized trucks equipped with large speakers in the back and men with microphone I can only assume talking of the Prime Minister. It seemed as though there were hundreds of megaphones, all fighting for the growing crowd’s attention. This rally came and went multiple times as we all stood back, taking it in. It was not as much a demonstration as a celebration. They were celebrating the life of Zenawi and all he had done for their country. I never felt unsafe or scared; it was simply the people showing their appreciation and love for a man they believe did so much for the country.

            I have been watching a lot of news reports lately and all of them still revolved around the Prime Minister. There have been rallies like this everywhere (including in Asella). People with flags and pictures showing their support to a man they never met. There was one lady that especially stuck me. She was probably in her 70’s and being interviewed as she paid homage during one such rally. I could not understand a single word she said, but she looked as if one of her children had just died. While it is typical human nature to ham it up for a camera (which there was plenty of), this woman clearly would have been behaving the same way whether she was in front of a camera, or at home by herself. You could just see that she remembered the times before Zenawi and the struggles she must have faced. She was openly weeping, uncontrollable, at the lost of the Prime Minster. I was so stuck. This is a man she had never met. Someone who realistically did not know she even existed. Yet her level of sorrow and grief was as though he was her family. While there were men and women beating their chest, holding candle light vigils and chanting his name, it is the image of this old woman that will stay with me.

            So no one is quite sure what the response will be from here on out, but one thing is certain, it is an interesting time to be in Ethiopia.