Category: Opinion
Fano and the New Amhara Nationalism: A Review
As one can see, there is a remarkable coincidence between Meskerem’s vision of the new Amhara nationalism and that of Asres. In both cases, the prioritization of the survival and interests of the Amharas, henceforth considered not just as a means but as a goal as well, is the main objective. Only once this goal is reached and the Amhara people find their true representatives can discussions with other ethnic leaders about the future of Ethiopia begin. To be sure, the discussions will involve mutual concessions, but with the understanding that its outcomes must be in accordance with the interests of the Amhara people, and this includes their status accruing from their importance in the Ethiopian alignment of political forces. In this way, the main criticism of the ethnonationalists according to which Ethiopia is nothing but a coverup for Amhara nationalism is put to rest in favor of an Ethiopia that is open to the contributions of all ethnic groups.
Read MoreArmed Conflict and War Crimes in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region
By: Biruk Haregu (PhD student in Public Policy and Political Economy, and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at...
Read MoreIs Abiy Ahmed’s Economic Policy Leading Ethiopia Towards Prosperity or Poverty?
During the past 5 years, Abiy’s approach to economic policy— Abiynomics— has demonstrably proven to be non-strategic, misaligned, confused, and socioeconomically ruinous. First, the principal strategic error is the abrupt shift in economic policy from the robust industrial parks policy that aimed to develop and strengthen manufacturing and industry in Ethiopia, to Abiy’s hodgepodge initiatives spanning cosmetic construction projects, agricultural initiatives, and mass privatization…
Read MoreWhy European Union’s decision to release long held economic aid to Ethiopia’s rogue regime is wrong?
On October 3rd, 2023, the European Union (EU) dithered and officially backed the dictatorship of Abiy Ahmed in Ethiopia. No matter what preconditions were put forth by the continental body, it is now clear that EU has turned its back on citizens seeking justice and accountability over the horrific two-year long civil war in Northern Ethiopia, and the ongoing civil war that Abiy is waging against the Amhara. More broadly, the EU’s decision is a grave disservice to Ethiopians across the country.
Read MoreHow Abiy’s Tyranny, Failed Leadership, and the Persecution of Amharas Caused the Latest War in Ethiopia?
For close and discerning observers of Ethiopian politics, it is increasingly evident that Abiy’s principal objective is power consolidation through the complete disarmament and demobilization of the Amhara regional forces and by extension the Amhara region— a force and region that he fears is a threat to his authoritarian inclinations. Unsurprisingly, the haphazard and unjust policy decree has been met with a widespread popular resistance movement and insurgency throughout the Amhara region. Amharas view the deployment of federal forces into the region as an attempt to subjugate the people and the region to the whims of Abiy and his Oromo Prosperity Party; while at the same time, exposing the region and its people to security threats emanating from other armed groups, namely the TPLF, Oromo special forces, and Oromo Liberation Army.
Read MoreOpen Letter to WB and IMF from two Former Members of Ethiopia’s ‘Economic Advisory Council’
By way of introduction, the writers of this letter were members of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Economic Advisory Council, until our resignation. One of us was Deputy Global Manager of the ICP that is housed in the World Bank and cosponsored by many international agencies including the IMF. We write with a reasonably sufficient knowledge of the Ethiopian Government and your institutions.
Read MoreAVERTING CIVIL WAR IN ETHIOPIA
This discussion paper is prepared with inputs from many prominent individuals and
groups in Ethiopia and abroad. A preliminary survey in which 556 participants took part
shows 67.6% support the proposed international campaign. This discussion document
is shared with the public to foster discussion by all stakeholder at home and abroad. The
purpose is not to form a new organization. To contact author, Email:[email protected]
Does Ethiopia Need to Re-examine Its Development Model?
The World Food Program reports that “Ethiopia has made important development gains over
the past two decades, reducing poverty and expanding investments in basic social services.
However, food insecurity and malnutrition are still a major concern across the country; an
estimated 20.4 million people currently require food support. This includes internally displaced
persons (IDPs), who have had to leave their homes due to the conflict in the country’s north
and the severe drought in south and southeast.” This is a huge challenge that must be
addressed now.
What Next After the EOTC Rendered Tribal Politics a Fatal Blow?
Abiy has learned the hard way that in terms of power, Addis Ababans who defeated the tribalization of Addis Ababa schools pale in comparison to the EOTC. No institution in the entire continent of Africa has the power to mobilize support in comparison to EOTC. Apart from the Church’s institutional architecture that commands over 60 million members, other social institutions from ጽዋ to እድር are associated with the Orthodox social enterprise.
Read MoreReligious violence is threatening Ethiopia and the government is behind it
In today’s Ethiopia, ethnonationalist movements have continued to fuel inter-ethnic animosity and violence that continue to further weaken the country. A tolerant political culture and social capital that had long defined Ethiopians have become a thing of the past. Now that a possibility of religious violence is added to the list of problems that threaten the peace, the fragile state of Ethiopia is facing a major catastrophe that should not be taken lightly.
Read MoreThe Int’l Community’s Moral Imperative to Avert a Dangerous Showdown in Ethiopia
Today, the Abiy Administration upped its threat by telling the Church they cannot protest during the Sunday prayer session. Over a million Orthodox followers are expected to attend Church services to pray for the wellbeing of their Church. Obviously, the mass will overflow outside of Church compounds. This is common in Ethiopia when churches and mosques gather for prayer and peaceful protest.
The international community that is financing the Abiy administration has moral responsibility to ensure bullets that were bought with their funds are not used to kill Christians. In recent months, the Abiy government has been piling weapons and the PM has threatened the Church and its followers that his administration has tools that it has not used in the past.
Read Moreይድረስ ለጠ/ሚንስትር ዶ/አብይ አህመድ፣ ለብልጽግና መንግስት ኃላፊዎችና የካቢኔ አባላት
ይህን ጽሁፍ በይፋ እንድጽፍ ያነሳሳኝ፣ሀገራችን ከኣንድ ቀውስ ወደ ሌላ ቀውስ፤ ከአንድ ፈተና ወደ ሌላ ፈተና እየተሸጋገረች የምትሰቃይበት ምክንያቶች አንዱ በተፈጥሮዋ ወይም በሕዝቦቿ አለመታደል ሳይሆን፤ በዋነኛነት የሚመራዉን ሕዝብ አስተባብሮ በመምራት ችግሮቿን ከስር ነቅሎ የሚጥልላት ፈውስ የሚሆኑ አስተውሎ ያላቸው መሪዎች እስከዛሬ ባለማግኘቷ ነው ብየ ስለማምን ነው። ይህ ለዉጥ ሲጀምር በብዙ ሚልዮን የሚቆጠሩ ኢትዮጵያዉያን በዶ/ር ዓብይ ላይ እምነት በመጣል አሁን ሊያልፍላት ነው፤ መሪ እያገኘች ነው ብለው ነበር፤ለኢትዮጵያ ጥሩ ራይ ሰንቀው ለውጡን በስተመጨረሻም ቢሆን የተቀላቀሉትና የተራራውን ጫፍ የወጡት ዶ/ር አብይ፣ የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ ከፍተኛ ክብርን፣ ድጋፍ (እኔም በርካታ የትግል ጓዶቼን ጨምሮ) ሲያደርጉ ቆይተዋል። አሁን ግን ያ ተስፋ እኔን ጨምሮ በብዙ ወገኖች ዘንድ እየተመናመነ የመጣ ይመስላል::
Read MoreRecent Posts
- Fano and the New Amhara Nationalism: A Review
- Armed Conflict and War Crimes in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region
- Is Abiy Ahmed’s Economic Policy Leading Ethiopia Towards Prosperity or Poverty?
- Why European Union’s decision to release long held economic aid to Ethiopia’s rogue regime is wrong?
- How Abiy’s Tyranny, Failed Leadership, and the Persecution of Amharas Caused the Latest War in Ethiopia?