Ethiopians Mourn at State Funeral of Long-time Leader Zenawi

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians mourned Sunday the late strongman Meles Zenawi, in the first state funeral staged for a leader of the Horn of Africa nation in more than 80 years.

Followed by giant crowds, Meles' flag-draped coffin slowly processed through the capital from the National Palace to the vast Meskel Square, his family dressed in black following behind, many in tears.

The coffin arrived on top of a horse-drawn carriage adorned with white flowers and pictures of Meles -- who died last month aged 57 -- as a boy and young man, before the casket was placed on a stage above the giant crowd.

Religious leaders from Ethiopia's Christian Orthodox Church, dressed in flowing embroidered robes and carrying red and gold velvet umbrellas, held prayers for the sea of mourners.

Ethiopia's deputy Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, who will lead government until national elections in 2015, sat right behind the coffin, and welcomed the many African leaders and foreign dignitaries who are attending.

"The late prime minister was working not only for the renaissance of Ethiopia, but also for the renaissance for all of Africa," Hailemariam said in a speech after prayers.

"All his initiatives will keep going forward, all the transformation plans will progress," he promised.

Presidents of all Ethiopia's neighbors -- with the exception of arch-foe Eritrea -- attended, including Djibouti's Ismail Omar Guelleh, Kenya's Mwai Kibaki, South Sudan's Salva Kiir, Sudan's Omar al-Bashir, and Somalia's Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

South African President Jacob Zuma said Africa had "lost one of the greatest sons of the continent", while Paul Kagame of Rwanda said Meles had "led a humble and simple life, but very meaningful one."

Benin's president and current Africa Union chairman Thomas Boni Yayi hailed Meles' "driving force" in efforts to end conflict, while U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice praised Meles -- a key Western ally in a volatile region with al-Qaida linked groups -- for his "selfless" efforts.

"Even as we argued whether about economics, democracy, human rights, regional security or our respective foreign policies, I was always struck by two things, Meles was consistently reasoned in his judgments and thoughtful in his decisions," Rice said.

Senior officials from China and the European Union were also attending.

Thousands of soldiers stood guard as the ceremony progressed, some of them crying.

The funeral ceremony was to move later to the capital's Holy Trinity Cathedral, where Meles will be buried.

Meles died in a Brussels hospital on August 20 after a protracted illness. He had not been seen in public for two months, spurring rumors about his health.

The former rebel turned regional strongman took power in 1991 after toppling dictator Mengistu Hailemariam, remaining at the helm of Ethiopia -- a relatively stable country in the volatile Horn of Africa region -- until his death.