That man should kill man not in anger, not in fear, but only to watch the sight.
(Seneca)
Beasts were made sacred by the barbarians on account of the benefits they bestowed.
(Cicero)
Reports that Meles Zenawi, the Tigrayan despot, is in critical condition receiving treatment in Saint Luc Hospital in Belgium have occasioned intensive speculation concerning post Meles scenarios, especially among Abyssinian opposition groups. I think most of the Amhara political elites are dreaming of a situation in which TPLF would be forced to make significant concessions to them so that they can have more decisive clout with the regime in crisis. Their ultimate point is to replace the Woyane despot with their own “authentic Ethiopian” despot, meaning an Amhara one, notwithstanding their lip service to, and praise for, democracy. The death of the Tigrayan dictator is portrayed as the death of EPRDF structure. Selam Beyene, for example, writes, in his article posted in Ethiomedia.com, July 16, 2012: “By all indications, these are desperate times for Zenawi and his corrupt and crumbling regime. An evil dictatorship that is founded upon an ideology of ethnic hatred, cronyism, repression, lies and corruption, is unravelling faster than even the most positive predictions have hoped for.”