Is Meles Zenawi Dead?

Ethiopia's long time Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been critically ill. He actually missed the recent AU summit in Addis Ababa for the first time since he ousted Mengistu Haile Mariam from power in 1991. Various social media sites have announced his passing. The harsh tag #RIPMelesZenawi is now circulating on twitter. However, there remains any official confirmation of his death. Ethiopians are not allowed to talk about his death as it will be interpreted as treason. The Daily Telegraph reports that Mr Zenawi is thought to be receiving treatment for an unspecified condition at the Saint Luc University Hospital in Brussels. The hospital is a centre for the treatment of blood or "haematological" cancers. The paper goes on to report that he may not survive. Zenawi has ruled Ethiopia with an iron fist and the country is termed as a police state. Analysts are pondering on his possible successor.