In May 1991, reporters were summoned to the Berkeley Hotel in central London for what was billed as a peace conference to end Ethiopia's 30-year civil war. It was a small and rushed affair, and hardly lived up to its billing as the forum to end decades of bloodshed.
Within hours the two main rebel leaders, Meles Zenawi, of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, and Isaias Afewerki, leader of the Eritrean separatists, came up with a statement announcing they would enter Addis Ababa the next day and take power from the defeated military regime, known as the Derg.
They could have made the announcement themselves, but they gave it to the American mediator, Herman Cohen, to read out. It would carry more weight coming from him than from a couple of ragged Marxists from the bush.
The rebel leaders then set off - in a battered old Datsun, if memory serves - to return to Ethiopia and take power.
At the time, Ethiopia was a byword for famine and war. After 21 years of iron rule by Mr Meles, who died on Monday, it has a fast-growing economy and the status of a pillar of regional stability.
Mr Meles's relationship with Mr Isaias did not last. The latter led Eritrea, the part of Ethiopia which occupied its only access to the sea, to independence in 1993 and became its president. This led to two border wars over control of a barren strip of land and an enduring legacy of bitterness.
What happens to replace the vacuum left by Mr Meles is now the key question. He was a dominant figure in the crisis-ridden Horn of Africa, and a leader for the whole continent. An austere and unsmiling intellectual, he charmed foreign leaders from Bill Clinton to Tony Blair. Despite his Marxist beliefs, he realised that he had to cleave to the Americans, enjoying a close military and intelligence relationship with Washington.
He dressed up his concerns about the rule of Islamists in Somalia, and their support for ethnic Somali separatists in Ethiopia, in the language of the George W Bush's "war on terror", thus enjoying US support for Ethiopia's two invasions of Somalia. At the same time, he brutally crushed all political dissent at home, even jamming Voice of America broadcasts, which he considered seditious, while modelling his economic policies on Chinese state capitalism.
Whoever replaces him in the long term will struggle to manipulate the great powers with the same dexterity. The fear in western chancelleries is that the system he built up will collapse without him.
Officially, his system of rule was ethnic federalism - a multicultural federation based on ethnic and tribal representation. In fact this was a front for a one-party state, with real power increasingly concentrated in the hands of Mr Meles and his fellow Tigrayans, who are little more than 6 per cent of the population.
The former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, has been named as interim prime minister and will serve until 2015. But he is not seen as a powerful figure. Unless the leaders of the ruling party show the tactical flair of the late prime minister, it is easy to predict that the larger ethnic groups - the Oromo and Amhara - will seek to overturn Tigrayan domination, and that small local rebellions will grow.
The security forces appear strong and united. History will suggest that the Tigrayan elite would have to increase the level of repression to stay in power. But it is too soon at this stage to write off the system built up by Mr Meles.
What is certain is that his death comes at a delicate moment for the Horn of Africa. There are no strong governments in the region: fighting between the two Sudans, a year after their split, is an ever-present threat. Somalia is going through a difficult transition from anarchy towards a state. In Kenya, the spectre of the mass ethnic violence which ripped through the country in 2007 was revived this week by the massacre of 52 people near the Somali border. Across the Red Sea, Yemen is stuck in a stalled transition from the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The first focus is likely to be on Eritrea, where the death of Mr Meles could provide an opportunity to bury the hatchet. Eritrea is poor and increasingly friendless after the demise of the Qaddafi regime in Libya. But the mere disappearance of one of the brother-enemies who met in the Berkeley Hotel in London 21 years ago will not be enough: it would require sustained diplomatic support from the US and European powers.
Without that progress, stabilising Somalia will be harder. Ethiopia and Eritrea support different sides, with Addis Ababa keeping an estimated 10,000 troops in Somalia to fight against the Al Shabaab militia that Eritrea is accused of aiding.
Somalia has just elected a new parliament. A new president is to be elected soon, but despite the success of the African Union peacekeepers in driving Al Shabaab out of Mogadishu, there are doubts whether this is a real step to reviving the Somali state. It could be just a way of allowing a new cast of notables to bribe their way to getting their hands on foreign-aid flows.
The death of Mr Meles will not reduce Ethiopia's interest in Somalia. Having a large ethnic Somali population in its Ogaden region, the Ethiopian government will always be concerned about what is happening over the border.
What has changed is that the Americans have lost a stable ally in their counter-terrorism war at a time when other allies - such as Egypt - are in turmoil. If ethnic tensions in Ethiopia lead to a return of instability there, all bets on a Somali renaissance are off. And the judgement of all foreign powers who put their trust in Mr Meles will be more than ever questioned.
aphilps@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @aphilps
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The%20specs
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
UAE rugby season
FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Division 1
Dubai Sharks v Dubai Hurricanes II
Al Ain Amblers v Dubai Knights Eagles II
Dubai Tigers II v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Jebel Ali Dragons II v Abu Dhabi Harlequins II
Sharjah Wanderers v Dubai Exiles II
LAST SEASON
West Asia Premiership
Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners – Dubai Hurricanes
Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference
Winners – Dubai Tigers
Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries