Year after leader dies, Ethiopia little changed
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Residents in Ethiopia's capital awoke to the sound of a 21-gun salute Tuesday to mark the first year anniversary of the death of long-time ruler Meles Zenawi. The ritual underscores the approach Meles' successors have employed during the last year: a continued lionization of the late prime minister, whose portrait still appears in every public office across the country. Candlelit vigils and the launch of over two dozen parks were organized across the country for the late leader. In the capital a cornerstone for the Meles Zenawi Memorial Museum was laid in a televised ceremony. During the ceremony, attended by regional leaders such as the presidents of Somalia and Sudan, Meles was praised as "Africa's voice." His successor Prime Minister Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn praised Meles as a "champion of the poor." "Meles did a remarkable endeavor in the green economic development. He also led a successful par