Ethiopian Prime Minister dies at 57 Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi has died at the age of 57 following weeks of illness. Mr. Meles was admitted to hospital last month. The nature of his illness has not been made public. Speculation about his health began when he missed an African Union summit in Addis Ababa earlier last month. Mr. Meles took power as the leader of a rebel movement which ousted the communist government of Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991. BBC