Category: Opinion
Successful democratic change requires scrutiny of reforming authorities. Not shaming those who dare to air critical views about the powers that be. A few weeks ago, while discussing my impressions of Dr. Abiy and his premiership, a friend took offense…
(Editors’ note: This article is published as a response to Alemayehu Weldemariam’s Ethiopia Observer commentary headlined Ethiopia’s Charismatic Leader: Riding the Wave of Populism or Reforming Ethnic Federalism? The original version of this response was published on the author’s Facebook…
Reforming Government pursing privatizations and trade liberalization Ethiopia lacks institutional capacity to manage overlapping commitments Weak financial and manufacturing industries may suffer from competition If you follow international trade, you may be feeling both excited and anxious. Excited because Africa…
Preaching unity is one thing, but the Prime Minister’s methods risk undermining the political system that ties Ethiopia’s federation together. Abiy Ahmed must capitalize on his brilliant and bold beginning with careful, inclusive reforms. “But even regarding History as the…
June 23, 2018 is not a day that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will easily forget. That morning he spoke at a rally where a huge Meskal Square crowd gathered to enthusiastically support his reforms and message of tolerance. The joyous…
Although the peace offering to Eritrea was a collective decision, there are indications of incoherence within Ethiopia’s ruling coalition. Notably, a crucial player, the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front, does not seem to be fully on board. Following the surprise announcement…
In recent years, no other Ethiopian state-owned enterprise has been subjected to as much criticism as the Metals and Engineering Corporation, a military-industrial conglomerate. It has been blamed for obtaining contracts without bids, supplying sub-standard products, delaying mega projects, and…
It has been somewhat of a struggle so far for Ethiopians trying to draw a completely consistent line from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s approach. That is because despite a clutch of positive moves, the pardoning of people involved in high-profile…
PM has not offered many ideas to tackle economic woes Abiy’s comments suggest maintaining statist status quo Structural issues need tackling to prevent more problems Headlines about Ethiopia indicate a radical change of mood. While in the past three years…
Abiy Ahmed’s swearing-in as Prime Minister of Ethiopia is a cause for celebration-albeit of the cautious kind. Despite optimism, there are legitimate concerns that the youthful leader might not possess the assertiveness and clout to pull his party and country…