What Killed Meles Zenawi? By Tibebe Samuel Ferenji

“The stirrings within us have their own fearful excesses; the excesses show which way these stirrings would take us. They are simply a sign to remind us constantly that death, the rupture of discontinuous individualities to which we cleave in terror, stands there before us more real than life itself.”

First of all, I would like to express my sympathy to the family, friends and supporters of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi. Although his death is celebrated in some quarters of our society, there is no question that his death has been very painful to those who loved him and supported him. Regardless of the wrongs he did to the country and the people of Ethiopia, I sympathize with those he left behind. I wish him to live for different reasons than those who are mourning his death. God has chosen his own way; thus, we have no choice but to reflect on the death of Mr. Zenawi and the legacy he left behind. Although so much has been said and written about his death, very few people have asked What killed Mr. Zenawi. The government of Ethiopia has been very secretive about the illness and the circumstances of Mr. Zenawi’s death. Why? In this piece, the writer would like to shade some light in the circumstances of the death of Mr. Zenawi and the strange coincidences.


Few months ago, this writer was watching Aljazeera documentary regarding the investigation about the death of former Palestinian leader Yasir Araft. Mr. Arafat was 75 years old when he died in November 11, 2004. Mr. Arafat was treated in France for unspecified illness when he suddenly slipped into a coma. Mr. Araft’s death remains a mystery until now. The cause of his death was never determined. According to several reports, the French officials have been unwilling to release the details of Mr. Arafat’s illness. Strangely enough, Aljazeera was running a documentary in the beginning of July 2012 regarding its investigation about the death of Mr. Arafat. In the documentary titled “What killed Arafat,” Aljazeera stated that Swiss institute examined clothing provided by Arafat’s widow Suha Arafat and determined that there were high levels of polonium-210, the same substance found that has reportedly killed a former Russian spy in London in 2006. Arafat was treated in France and the French government and the Palestinian Authorities have been silent about Arafat’s death and what his illness was.


The Israel government and its propaganda machine disseminated false information claiming that Arafat died because of HIV/AIDS. However, Aljazeera’s investigation revealed that Araft did not have AIDS. In fact, the investigation revealed that there was no specific illness that caused Araft’s death. Strangely enough, in July 2012, both the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Assres and Ghana’s president John Evans Atta Mills died few months after visiting Washington. Mr. Zenawi and Mr. Mill were both participants in G-8 meeting that took place in the United States on May 18, 2012 and May 19, 2012. The last public appearance for Mr. Zenawi was on June 19, 2012, in Mexico during the G-20 meeting. For those of us who closely examined Mr. Zenawi’s physical appearance on May 19, 2012 and June 19, 2012, it is clear that Mr. Meles has lost enormous amount of weight; he also looked pail and unhealthy. Talking to some Medical Doctors in the field, they found it very strange to see such a rapid change in weight and physical appearance of Mr. Zenawi.


Although the Ethiopian government declared that Mr. Zenawi died on August 20, 2012, reliable sources have stated he died in mid July 2012. The Ethiopian government did not leave us in the dark regarding the illness that caused Mr. Zenawi, the government has been reluctant to inform the general public the name of the hospital where Mr. Zenawi was treated. Ironically, Ghana’s president John Mill also died on July 24, 2012. As Mr. Zenawi’s death, Mr. Mill’s death was sudden and unexpected.


According to media accounts in Ghana, Mr. Mills was taken to a Military hospital in Ghana on July 23, 2012 where he suddenly died a day later. For those who saw the physical appearance of Mr. Arafat before his death, the physical appearance of the Russian Spy Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko who was killed in London with Polonium, and the physical appearance of Mr. Zenawi on June 19, 2012 in Mexico, it is not difficult to see their similarity. What is interesting in death of Mr. Mill is that there is also suspicion in his death. Some people in Ghana are requesting an investigation into the death of Mr. Mill. Daniel Danquah Damptey, a Ghanaian Blogger has implicated the current president of Ghana, president Mahama, in the death of former president Mill.


Fortunately for Ghana, there is a clear Constitutional order indicating who would replace a president in his untimely death. There is no fear and there is no sign of instability in Ghana. In Ethiopia, the Constitution does not clearly define who takes power in the untimely death of Mr. Zenawi. Ghana exemplifies what a lasting peace and stability looks like when a country is ruled by an institution instead of one strong man. On the other hand, Ethiopia reflects what it means to a country when one man was in control of every aspect of the government.


Unlike Mr. Zenawi, Mr. Mill is praised for taking Ghana through a democratic path. As Mr. Damptey put it in his article, there is mystery in the death of Mr. Mill. The government is not fully disclosing the circumstances of Mr. Mill’s death. Like the people of Ghana, the Ethiopian people are also kept in the dark about the circumstances of “the illness” that took the life of Mr. Zenawi. The government is operating with the rule of the jungle and blatantly stated to the Ethiopian people that the detail of Mr. Zenawi’s health and lack thereof is not our business.


After Aljazeera’s investigation became public, Suha Arafat has since called for her husband’s body to be exhumed from its mausoleum in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The Palestinian Authoritative has publicly stated it will exhume Mr. Araft’s body, since its decision however, the Palestinian Authority has been back peddling. The report indicated there was no Autopsy performed after the death of Mr. Arafat. We don’t know if there was autopsy performed after the death of Mr. Zenawi.


The Ethiopian people have the right to know What Killed Mr. Zenawi. CPJ has indicated that Mr. Zenawi died due to Liver Cancer. If that is true, then the government needs to disclose the information. Although Bereket Simon hinted that Mr. Zenawi was ill the last one year, the ETV, has been indicating that Mr. Zenawi has been ill the last two years. Such conflicting stories do not give any credence to the government whose credibility has been already tarnished the last 21 years. What is the EPRDF hiding? What are those close to the late prime minister are hiding? Is there any relation between the death of Mr. Zenawi and Mr. Mill? We are going to have lots of time to reflect, criticize and praise Mr. Zenawi; this writer believes that History will not be kind to Mr. Zenawi. It is the hope of this writer that Historians, not Politicians put Mr. Zenawi’s legacy in perspective and show to the rest of the world his true color. Whether we like it or not, Mr. Zenawi has left a big foot print in the history of Ethiopia. This writer believes that Mr. Zenawi has done more harm to the country than good. Now, Mr. Zenawi’s death is official, we need to know how and when exactly Mr. Zenawi died; whether we opposed or supported him, we all need to know, and deserve to know What killed Mr. Zenawi. If there is nothing to hide, then, the EPRDF needs to fully disclose the circumstances of Mr. Zenawi’s death. The government also needs to fully disclose in what hospital Mr. Zenawi was treated, and who his Doctors were. The writer asks those who read this piece to contact Aljazeera and ask to investigate the death of Mr. Zenawi and Mr. Mill. We all should demand that an autopsy performed on Mr. Zenawi by an independent institution before his burial


Having said that, I would like to express my deepest sympathy for millions of Ethiopian victims who did not get a proper justice as a result of Mr. Meles Zenawi’s death. May the almighty God protect and watch over our country and people in this difficult time.

The Death of the Prime Minister: Happiness or Mourning? BY YohannesY

We witnessed a great drama unfold in the Ethiopian political arena; the drama was performed by the Ethiopian government representative Bereket Simon, who finally answered questions about the prime minister’s health. Rather than telling the truth, he told the country Zenawi was in vacation and getting doctor recommended rest. More importantly, he stated that Zenawi’s health was in good conditions. On Aug 21, 2012, the same man came out and told the world that the Prime Minster was dead. That itself was very difficult to absorb, and further complicated the already complex Ethiopian politics. Essentially, information minister simply did not tell the truth.

Then ESAT came out as a great champion for telling the world the reality of the death of the prime minister. This reflected the maturity of the Ethiopian opposition force and its investigative work to uncover the truth was commendable. ESAT can be a force for democratic change in Ethiopia. I can tell the future, ESAT is going to be a great threat for the regime in Addis Ababa for years to come.

In the United States and around the world, celebration and mourning continued as Ethiopians inside the country were so confused by this drama. Zenawai is not a man that can be placed simply in black and white standards. While he was anti democratic, he recruited himself as the champion of the poor. However, he focusing only on infrastructural development but he totally ignored the consciousness of Ethiopia and basic human right issues, treating human rights issues as irrelevant.

He harassed Ethiopian journalists and oppositions till his last breath. And he made Ethiopia as the biggest aid recipient in Africa. Not to mention, he controlled 99.6 percent of the Ethiopian vote, dismantled any independent organizations and news media and heavily meddled in religious issues in Ethiopia.

Furthermore, nothing was ever really clear on his beliefs as well. His political stance was never clear, and no one was sure whether he wanted a communist or democratic regime. At one point people even questioned if he was actually Eritrean. But to silence such tacks he closed all news media and killed and harassed anyone who opposed him. He made Ethiopia the biggest land locked country in the world and he did a lot of other crime against his own country and humanity.

Then the drama by the TPLF agents continue, now as if the prime mister was loved by all the Ethiopian people, and people were showered by all kind of TV shows on how the people was crying and mourning the death of the Prime Minister. Even though I recognize the Ethiopian people forgiveness and kind heartedness, I have a hard time believing many were truly, truly saddened by his death.

(Those who follow the news would also have heard of the death of Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s late leader. It’s funny noting the similarities between North Korea’s and Ethiopia’s respective reactions to their leaders’ death, despite both maintaining dictatorial regimes.)

After we heard of the death of Meles Zenwai, one person said it felt as if a thick dark cloud of darkness was removed from the country, along with Zenawi’s dictatorial and tribal regime. Now, we only wait to see how the new Prime Minister operates his government. Now, we Ethiopians can only wait to see what happens.

World leaders mourn death of Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi

President Barack Obama, USA
It was with sadness that I learned of the passing of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles deserves recognition for his lifelong contribution to Ethiopia’s development, particularly his unyielding commitment to Ethiopia’s poor. I met with Prime Minister Meles at the G-8 Summit in May and recall my personal admiration for his desire to lift millions of Ethiopians out of poverty through his drive for food security. I am also grateful for Prime Minister Meles’s service for peace and security in Africa, his contributions to the African Union, and his voice for Africa on the world stage. On behalf of the American people, I offer my condolences to Prime Minister Meles’ family and to the people of Ethiopia on this untimely loss, and confirm the U.S. Government’s commitment to our partnership with Ethiopia. Going forward, we encourage the Government of Ethiopia to enhance its support for development, democracy, regional stability and security, human rights, and prosperity for its people.
Raila Odinga, Kenyan Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was a great leader, an intellectual, someone who was very dedicated to pan-Africanism. One will remember him for the great effort he put in to transforming the Ethiopian economy.
One fears for the stability of Ethiopia upon his death because you know that the Ethiopian state is fairly fragile and there is a lot of ethnic violence... I don't know that [Ethiopian politicians] are sufficiently prepared for a succession: this is my fear, that there may be a falling out within the ruling movement.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Mr Meles would be remembered "for his exceptional leadership and advocacy on African issues within and outside the continent" and for overseeing his country's economic development.
Jacob Zuma, South African President
It is an absolute tragedy for Africa and the people of Ethiopia to mourn such an exceptional leader who contributed as an active role-player in various continental and global initiatives. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had been a strong leader, not only for his country but on the African continent, acting as mediator on numerous talks, particularly in the Horn of Africa region.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia
Meles Zenawi was an economic transformer, he was a strong intellectual leader for the continent. In our regional meetings he stood out because of his intellect and his ability to respond and to lead dialogue on matters relating to African development. He will be missed in all of our meetings and all of our endeavour.
I don't have fears [over the transition] because I believe there are many other leaders in Ethiopia who will get the support of regional leaders to make the transformation that is necessary, moving towards an open society.
Barnaba Benjamin, South Sudanese Information Minister
It's a very, very sad day for the people of the Republic of South Sudan and the people of the East African region as a whole. This has been a tremendous nationalist leader, a president who had always let peace come to his neighbours. We in South Sudan in particular, consider Ethiopia and especially Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, a strategic ally that (who) always never let a friend down. Indeed we greatly mourn him and we extend our extensive condolences to the people of Ethiopia.
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso
Prime Minister Meles was a respected African leader. He demonstrated his strong personal commitment over many years to improving the lives of not just his own but all African peoples, through his work on African unity, climate change, development and in promoting peace and stability, particularly in the Horn of Africa. I sincerely hope that Ethiopia will enhance its path of democratisation, upholding of human rights and prosperity for its people, and of further regional stabilisation and integration
David Cameron, British Prime Minister
Prime Minister Meles was an inspirational spokesman for Africa on global issues and provided leadership and vision on Somalia and Sudan. His personal contribution to Ethiopia's development, in particular by lifting millions of Ethiopians out of poverty, has set an example for the region. Our thoughts are with his family and with the nation of Ethiopia. He will be greatly missed.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair
It is with great sadness that I learned of Meles Zenawi's death. He was a hugely significant figure in Ethiopia's history, in particular helping guide his country from extreme poverty to an era of economic growth and development. My deepest condolences go to his family and the people of Ethiopia.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki called Meles a "pragmatic and visionary" leader who helped stabilise his country, adding that his death was a "devastating loss", while South African President Jacob Zuma lauded Meles as "a strong leader, not only for his country but on the African continent".
Asuman Kiyingi, Uganda's state minister for regional cooperation, said his country was "shocked and saddened" by Meles's death. "He has been so instrumental in finding solutions to African problems," Kiyingi told AFP, noting Meles' support for African Union forces battling the Shebab. Cameroon President Paul Biya said Ethiopia had lost "one of its most illustrious sons".
President of Chad Idriss Deby Itno described him as a "great statesman" whose death was a "great loss for the African continent".

Cheetahs, Hippos and Saving Ethiopia

George Ayittey, one of the foremost African public global intellectuals, metaphorically suggests that Africa’s destiny will be determined by the promise of the “Cheetah Generation” or the paralysis of the “Hippo Generation”. As he explains,
The Cheetah Generation refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different and unique perspective. They are dynamic, intellectually agile, and pragmatic. They may be the ‘restless generation’ but they are Africa’s new hope. They brook no nonsense about corruption, inefficiency, ineptitude, incompetence, or buffoonery. They understand and stress transparency, accountability, human rights, and good governance. They also know that many of their current leaders are hopelessly corrupt and that their governments are contumaciously dysfunctional and commit flagitious human rights violations. The Cheetahs do not look for excuses for government failure by wailing over the legacies of the slave trade, Western colonialism, imperialism, the World Bank or an unjust international economic system. To the Cheetahs, this ‘colonialism-imperialism’ paradigm, in which every African problem is analyzed, is obsolete and kaput. Unencumbered by the old shibboleths, Cheetahs can analyze issues with remarkable clarity and objectivity. The outlook and perspectives of the Cheetahs are refreshingly different from those of many African leaders, intellectuals, or elites, whose mental faculties are so foggy and their reasoning or logic so befuddled that they cannot distinguish between right and wrong. They blame everybody else for Africa’s problems except themselves.
On the other hand, the “Hippo Generation” is
intellectually astigmatic and stuck in their muddy colonialist pedagogical patch. They can see with eagle-eyed clarity the injustices perpetrated by whites against blacks, but they are hopelessly blind to the more heinous injustices they perpetrate against their own black people. They are stodgy, pudgy, and wedded to the old “colonialism-imperialism” paradigm with an abiding faith in the potency of the state. They lack vision and sit tight in their air-conditioned government offices, comfortable in their belief that the state can solve all of Africa’s problems. All the state needs is more power and more foreign aid. And they would ferociously defend their territory since that is what provides [us] with [our] wealth. (Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal.) They care less if the whole country collapses around them, but are content as long as their pond is secure… But now is not the time for the cheetahs to take over. They will be ripped up by the ornery and nasty Hippos. Rather, they should build up on their skills, strength and accumulate knowledge and wealth — in the private sector — while methodically draining the swamp of the Hippos. Soon, the [Hippos] will find themselves ‘homeless’ and then the Cheetahs can take over.
The youth are the most dynamic segment in any society. Two of history’s evil men understood the importance of controlling and “owning” youth. Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the totalitarian Soviet state promised, “Give me just one generation of youth, and I’ll transform the whole world.” His counterpart in the Third Reich proclaimed, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.” Both used their nations’ youths as cannon fodder to realize their warped vision of world domination. For the past decade, Ethiopia’s dictators have sought to buy the loyalty and allegiance of the country’s best and brightest. Most of the country’s university graduates have been held hostage to Dictator Meles Zenawi’s corrupt neopatrimonial system. Zenawi has used various means to recruit, control, politicize and depoliticize the country’s youth. He has made economic survival impossible for the youth of the country except through membership in a syndicate palmed off as a political party.
Now is the Time for Ethiopia’s Cheetah Generation to Lead the Way to National Reconciliation
It is now time for Ethiopia’s cheetahs to take a leading role in the national dialogue to transition Ethiopia from dictatorship to democracy. Such a prescriptive declaration might be surprising to some coming from a card-carrying member of the “Loyal Order of African (Ethiopian) Hippos”. But over the years, I have learned to appreciate the sacrifices of Ethiopia’s cheetahs and have been awed by their transformative potential. In numerous weekly commentaries, I have despaired over their plight under Zenawi’s dictatorship but nevertheless insisted that they must be the tip of the spear in bringing about democratic change in Ethiopia. In June 2010, I reflected over what could happen if the rage bottled up in Ethiopia’s youth suddenly exploded:
The wretched conditions of Ethiopia’s youth point to the fact that they are a ticking demographic time bomb. The evidence of youth frustration, discontent, disillusionment and discouragement by the protracted economic crisis, lack of economic opportunities and political repression is manifest, overwhelming and irrefutable. The yearning of youth for freedom and change is self-evident. The only question is whether the country’s youth will seek change through increased militancy or by other peaceful means….
This past April, in my ongoing series on “Ethiopia’s transition from dictatorship to democracy”, I argued against the “conventional wisdom [that] says the important task of managing the transition from dictatorship to democracy should be left to the elites—the politicians, party leaders, bureaucrats, academics and other institutional leaders.” I insisted that “for there to be a truly a… durable democracy in [Ethiopia], the dialogue base must be expanded to broadly include… women and the youth…”
Ethiopian Youth Must Lead a National Dialogue in Search of a Path to Peaceful Change
Ethiopia today is a country without a head of state or a functioning government. The “prime minster” has literally gone AWOL. Apparently, no one knows where he is or even if he is alive. He has not been seen or heard of in public for the past two months. The “deputy prime minster” is as invisible as a ghost. The “president” is… Is there a president? The opposition is as silent as the gravestone. Who can save Ethiopia?
Since the beginning of 2012, I have been talking and writing about Ethiopia’s inevitable transition from dictatorship to democracy. More recently, I called for a national dialogue in the spirit of President Nelson Mandela. I now call upon and appeal to all of Ethiopia’s youth to lead the transitional national dialogue because I believe Ethiopia’s salvation and destiny rests not in the hardened jaws of the hippos but in the soft paws of the cheetahs.
Why MUST Ethiopia’s cheetahs lead the national dialogue for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy? First, if the cheetahs do not initiate the dialogue, which will? Who can? The hippos have been dialoguing for decades using the language of finger pointing, mudslinging, hatemongering and grudge holding. Second, the future belongs to the cheetahs (an estimated 67 percent of Ethiopia’s population is said to be under the age of 35) and not the hippos who continue to wallow in the muddy politics of ethnicity and sectarianism. Third, Ethiopia’s cheetahs are already doing much of the heavy lifting. They have been paying the price for democracy, freedom and human rights in blood, sweat and tears. The best and the brightest have been persecuted, prosecuted, brutalized and silenced by dictator Meles Zenawi. At the top of the list are Birtukan Midekssa, Eskinder Nega, Andualem Aragie, Bekele Gerba, Olbana Lelisa, Reeyot Alemu, Abebe Gellaw, Temesgen Desalegn, Yenesew Gebre, the hundreds of victims of the 2005 massacres and so many others. Fifth, Ethiopia’s cheetahs are paying the full price for the stupidity, narrow mindedness and incompetence of the hippos. Sixth, unlike the hippos, Ethiopia’s cheetahs have the best chance of leading a successful transition because they are focused on the future and not the past. Current violations of human rights are more important to Ethiopia’s cheetahs than historic grievances. They would rather seek justice today than remain paralyzed talking about the injustices of yesterday. Ethiopia’s cheetahs would rather steer the Ethiopian ship of state looking through the windshield than looking in the rear view mirror.
Beginning the Dialogue on National Reconciliation
The dialogue on national reconciliation in Ethiopia must begin within Ethiopia’s youth communities. Ethiopia’s cheetah’s must empower themselves, create their own political and social space, set their own agendas and begin multifaceted dialogues on their country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. They must develop their own awareness campaigns and facilitate vital conversations among youth communities cutting across language, religion, ethnicity region and so on. Their dialogues must be based on the principles of openness, truth and commitment to democracy, freedom and human rights. They must dialogue without fear or loathing. Above all, the cheetahs must “own” the dialogue process. At a gathering of cheetahs, hippos should be seen and not heard; tolerated but not involved. The cheetahs must keep a sharp eye on the hippos who are very skillful in political intrigues and expert at finding ways of getting involved to take over and manipulate the youth.
Informal dialogues among activist youth. For a variety of reasons, it is most practical for Ethiopia’s cheetahs to begin dialogue on national reconciliation at the informal level. For instance, such dialogues could initially take place among like-minded activist youth at the neighborhood level. Activist youth could undertake an assessment of their capabilities, potentials, opportunities and obstacles in setting up and managing a community-based informal reconciliation youth dialogues. Youth activist should focus on creating broader youth awareness and involvement in the dialogue process and utilization of existing organizations, institutions, associations, forums, etc., for national reconciliation dialogue. These dialogues should begin by focusing on certain key questions: Who are Ethiopia’s cheetahs and how committed are they in shaping the democratic destiny of their country? Are these cheetahs committed to nonviolent political change? Are they willing to commit to national dialogue as brothers and sisters?
Cheetahs should rely on themselves (and not expect much help from hippos) in beginning informal dialogues. In the past, Ethiopia’s cheetahs have looked up to the hippos for political guidance and direction. But hippos in and out of power have sought to marginalize the cheetahs.In the aftermath of the 2005 election, the hippos in power understood the power of the cheetahs and took active measures to blunt their impact by organizing them to support the regime and avoid involvement in opposition politics. They tried to control the cheetahs by creating and inducting millions of them into mass organizations and indoctrinating them in the bogus and mindless ideology of “revolutionary democracy”, bribing them with educational and job opportunities and threatening them with a variety of legal and extra-legal sanctions. By co-opting the most dynamic segment of the youth, the hippos in power were able to prevent large-scale youth engagement on the issues of human rights and democracy. Regrettably, the cheetahs were abandoned by the hippos out of power after the 2005 election. Ethiopia’s cheetahs must begin to develop self-reliance in transitioning their country from dictatorship to democracy.
Learning from and supporting each other and learning from the mistakes of the hippos and other youths. Ethiopia’s cheetahs have much to learn from each other, from the mistakes of the hippo generation and youths from other nations. Dialogue involves not only talking but also listening to each other. Youth from Ethiopia’s multiethnic society have much to learn from each other and build upon the strengths of the diverse youth communities. Much can be learned from the mistakes of the hippo generation. For starters, the cheetahs should learn that to disagree on issues does not mean becoming mortal enemies. It is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Civility in dialogue, though lacking among hippos, is essential for cheetahs .Ethiopia’s cheetahs must also learn from the mistakes of other youth movements. Youth power was the catalyzing force in Tunisia and Egypt. They creatively used mobile technology to mobilize the youth population, but in the end they were marginalized.
Ethiopia’s Destiny hangs in the Balance
Many societies face generational gaps as the youth rebel against tradition and societal norms. In Ethiopia today, there are two different generations. The cheetah generation wants freedom, human rights and democracy now. The hippo generation wallows in a mucky swamp of corruption, nepotism, cronyism, criminality and inhumanity. The cheetah generation wants to drain the swamp. The hippo generation is hopelessly trapped in the bog of ethnic politics and revenge politics.
Africans know all too well that hippos (including their metaphorical human counterparts) are dangerous animals that are fiercely territorial and attack anything that comes into their turf. Every year more people are killed by hippos (both the real and metaphorical ones) in Africa than lions or elephants. Cheetahs are known to be the fastest animals, but their weakness is that they give up the chase easily if they fail to make a catch quickly or surrender the prey they have caught when challenged by other predators including hyenas. A group of hippos is known as a crash. A group of cheetahs is called a “coalition”. Only a coalition of cheetahs organized across ethnic, religious, linguistic and regional lines can crash a crash of hippos and a cackle of hyenas and save Ethiopia.