AP
National police, front, and civilians participate in a public candlelight memorial for late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa on Thursday, August 30, 2012.
Addis Ababa - Ethiopia will bury its long-time powerful prime minister, Meles Zenawi, on Sunday in the first state funeral staged for a leader of the Horn of Africa nation in more than 80 years.
Several African leaders are expected to attend the funeral to pay tribute to Meles, a heavyweight in regional politics since he took power in 1991 after toppling dictator Mengistu Hailemariam.
China, the EU and the US are also expected to send senior officials.
The funeral will begin in Addis Ababa’s Meskel Square, before heading to the National Palace, where Meles’s coffin has been on display since it was flown home after his death in a Brussels hospital on August 20.
After the funeral Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn will formally take over power.
– Sapa-AFP
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