Africa leaders attend Meles Zenawi burial
LONDON. September 2. KAZINFORM African leaders are attending the state funeral in Addis Ababa of Ethiopia's long-serving Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who died last month, BBC informs.
Foreign dignitaries joined ordinary Ethiopians in paying their respects as his body lay in state in the National Palace.
Mr Meles died at the age of 57 in Brussels, following a long illness.
He came to power in 1991 and was credited for bringing development and growth to Ethiopia.
But critics say this was achieved at the cost of respect for human rights.
The state funeral - Ethiopia's first in more than 80 years - is beginning in Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, from where Mr Meles' flag-draped coffin will be taken for burial at the city's Holy Trinity Cathedral.
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