Aged 57, the Prime Minister died on Monday August 20 after months of illness.

World leaders yesterday August 21 began reacting to news of the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi. State television announced early yesterday that Zenawi, aged 57, died just before mid night on Monday August 20 in a foreign hospital where he had been receiving treatment, the BBC said.

An announcement from Ethiopia's Council of Ministers said the late Prime Minister had been receiving medical treatment abroad for the past two months and his health was improving. But due to a sudden infection which occurred on Sunday August 19, he went back to hospital for emergency treatment and died at about 23:40 pm of an undisclosed illness. State media said Hailemariam Desalegn, Deputy Prime Minister, would be the Acting Prime Minister.

Ethiopia has declared a time of national mourning, but has not fixed a date for the funeral, said government spokesman, Bereket Simon. He added that everything was stable in the country following the news. PM Zenawi was thought to be receiving treatment for an unspecified condition at the Saint Luc University Hospital in Brussels, Belgium. The hospital is said to be a centre for the treatment of blood or haematological cancers.

Reacting to the news, Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, described Zenawi as a great leader and an intellectual who was very dedicated to Pan-Africanism. He said the late leader will be remembered for the great efforts he put into transforming the Ethiopian economy. Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf qualified Zenawi was an economic transformer and a strong intellectual leader. She said the late PM stood out for his intellect and ability to respond and lead dialogue on African development. She expressed confidence that Ethiopians will be able to surmount any succession and transition challenges.

Rumours of Zenawi’s health began circulating at last month’s African Union summit in the capital, Addis Ababa, where he failed to appear. He was credited with Ethiopia's economic boom in the past decade, with economic growth shooting from 3.8 per cent in the 1990s to 10 per cent in 2010. However, he was criticized by human rights organisations for alleged abuses against ethnic minorities and political opponents. Meles Zenawi came to power in 1991 after his Tigray People's Liberation Front rebels overthrew the regime of Col. Mengistu. He was married to another TPLF veteran, Azeb Mesfin, with whom he had four children.