How the BBC’s HardTalk grilled Meles Zenawi

From Our Archive

| September 4, 2009

A starving Ethiopia & the enemy who jokes about robust economy BBC in 2005: “The rich world wanted to believe that you, Meles Zenawi, were doing your very best to deliver progress, reform, to your country. But one looks around the country today with an average life expectancy of 42, when millions and millions of people absolutely dependent on international food aid to avoid starvation, and when one does, after 14 years in power, what did you deliver for Ethiopia?” – BBC Journalist Stephen Sackur

BBC in 2009 – “…Look Ethiopia, for instance. The inflation rate right there is 32%. Last July it was double that, 64%. Conservative estimates say 5 million people [are] currently going hungry in Ethiopia. Why can’t your government be doing more? You have been in power since 1991.” – BBC journalist Zeinab Badawi