Ethiopia: fear of instability following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

The document examines the political landscape in Ethiopia after the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, noting his legacy of economic growth and strategic alignment with the West. While short-term destabilisation is deemed unlikely due to intact security infrastructure, the briefing highlights risks associated with the ethnic-based ruling coalition and the potential for parochial politics to emerge.

• Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's legacy is characterised by significant economic growth, making Ethiopia a preferred destination for foreign investors and development partners, and by establishing the country as a strategic Western ally in counter-terrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa.
• Immediate instability is considered unlikely because the state security infrastructure remains operational, although the long-term stability of the country depends on the cohesion of the ruling coalition's four ethnicity-based parties.
• The death of the Prime Minister has raised concerns regarding the potential for ethnic groups to attempt to overthrow the government, as an ethnic minority has held power for decades.
• Following the 1995 constitution, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hailemariam Desalegn assumed interim control, with the House of People’s Representatives tasked with electing a new prime minister.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Ethiopia: fear of instability following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/ethiopia-fear-of-instability-following-the-death-of-prime-minister-meles-zenawi

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Ethiopia: fear of instability following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/ethiopia-fear-of-instability-following-the-death-of-prime-minister-meles-zenawi.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Ethiopia: fear of instability following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/ethiopia-fear-of-instability-following-the-death-of-prime-minister-meles-zenawi |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndethiopia, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Ethiopia: fear of instability following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/ethiopia-fear-of-instability-following-the-death-of-prime-minister-meles-zenawi}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }