The 14th anniversary memorial for fighter Meles Zenawi is underway in the city of Wukro, centred on a theme of safeguarding regional sovereignty and self-determination.
The commemorative event is operating under the guiding principle: “Meles’s values and teachings, to guarantee existence, sovereignty, and the right to self-determination.” The memorial is being jointly organised by the Meles Leadership Academy, the Tigray Veterans Commission, the Wukro City Administration, Dimtsi Weyane Tigray, and the Wukro city branch of the Artists Association.
Senior regional officials and leadership figures are in attendance, including Professor Kinfe Abraha, manager of the Meles Leadership Academy and member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Central Committee. He is joined by Mulu Maru, head of the TPLF Eastern Zone office; Wukro Mayor Gebremichael G/medhin; and Fetlework Abebe, speaker of the Wukro City Council.
Various segments of the community from Wukro city and the Kilte Awlaelo woreda, alongside local artists and other entities, are also participating in the memorial gatherings.
Meles Zenawi: From Rebel to Prime Minister
Zenawi, born in the northern town of Adwa in May 1955, left his medical studies in 1974 to join the TPLF, according to biographical records from Columbia University’s World Leaders Forum. He later earned postgraduate degrees in business administration and economics, taking the role of transitional president in 1991 following the defeat of the military junta, and subsequently serving as prime minister from 1995 until his death in 2012.
A prominent diplomatic figure, Zenawi chaired the Organization of African Unity, served on the Blair Commission for Africa, and led the continent’s negotiating team at global climate change summits. While his government pursued rapid infrastructure and economic development, his tenure also faced widespread international criticism for the harsh suppression of political dissent.
