The most stupid mistake a counter-insurgency operation can make is alienating the population. If you alienate the population, you're finished.

- Meles Zenawi

Spending one hour with Isaias is far more worthwhile, rewarding and enlightening than reading ten books

- Meles Zenawi

As a person, I have never been discourteous or nasty to anybody. I may have stood my ground a bit too directly, a bit too firmly, and I believe I hav…

- Meles Zenawi

Africa's downfall has always been the cult of the personality. And their names always seem to begin with M. We've had Mobutu and Mengistu and I'm not…

- Meles Zenawi

I know more now than I did in the past about the process of democratization. I know more about the pitfalls.

- Meles Zenawi

It's true we have our disagreements on border issues, we have disagreements on trade and related issues, but you don't go invading a country whenever…

- Meles Zenawi

It does surprise me that intelligent people in the 21st century could claim that if you respond to the terrorists with force, you spawn terrorism, bu…

- Meles Zenawi

Of course everybodys thinking evolves over time.

- Meles Zenawi

If it is presumed that the Kenyans will democratise in order to eat the peanuts of development assistance from the European Union... it would be a bi…

- Meles Zenawi