Champion Of Peaceful Opposition, Prof. Beyene Petros Passes On

Beyene Petros (PhD), a veteran politician and renowned academic, has passed away at the age of 74.

Various sources, including social media posts from PM Abiy Ahmed and Mayor Adanech Abiebie, indicate that Beyene’s death came following extensive medical treatment for an unnamed illness.

However, Beyene was active and responding to media requests as recently as a week ago.

He was also serving as Director-General of the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), which he had led since he was appointed to the post by the PM in 2022.

Beyene played a prominent role in the 2005 opposition parties’ movement that nearly led to a regime change through elections.

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As chairman of the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), Beyene had been a leading figure in peaceful opposition politics since the 1990s. He also played a crucial part in peaceful political movements in southern Ethiopia.

Before entering the political arena, Beyene worked as a professor of biology at Addis Ababa University for an extended period of time. He held a postgraduate degree in tropical medicine and public health from Tulane University.

“Professor Beyene embodied the spirit of peaceful political struggle, playing a pivotal role in fostering a culture of non-violence and constructive political dialogue in Ethiopia. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing after a prolonged period of medical care. May his legacy endure, and may he rest in eternal peace,” reads a social media statement from the PM.

Beyene Petros