2-4-2018
AbiyAhmed Ali, Chairman of OPDO and EPRDF, has been sworn in as a premier of Ethiopia, approved by the EPRDF-controlled parliament.
Abiy holds PhD in Peace and Security Studies (2017) from the Addis Abeba University (AAU).
Many people especially protesters from the Oromia region have raised their hopes with the election of Abiy as chair of the EPRDF and Prime Minister of Ethiopia. While many people question this high hopes arguing that Abiy cannot single-handedly bring any change since the Ethiopian political power brokers, deep state and the security sector is in the hands of TPLF.
Over 14,000 people watched Abiy’s speech Live on Facebook from the state owned EBC.
Abiy quoted Mahatma Ghandi in his speech.
Unlike previous EPRDF leaders, he named and thanked his mother, and his wife, Zinash Tayachew.
His speech took nearly 30 minutes.
TPLF MPs, were visibly seen discontent and worried when Abiy was speaking. Debretsion, TPLF’s leader showed little interest to stand up and welcome back Abiy to his seat when all MPs stood up to greet Abiy.
Hope, unity and reconciliation could describe the generality of Abiy’s speech.
He condemned ethnic-ism and racism several times in his speech. It was basically a mutinying acceptance speech against the TPLF establishment.
The reaction on social media to his speech from all sides including opposition forces, bloggers and public figures has been very positive.
However, his speech didn’t mention anything about the lifting of the State of Emergency, elections, dialogue and negotiation with the opposition or changes in relation to restrictive laws such as the Anti-Terrorism, Civil Society and election legislation.
Abiy seems to have won the hearts and minds of most Ethiopians with a single speech. Most protest voices aka the Qeroo from his original region, Oromia also seem to be happy and calm with his confirmation. However, it is yet to be seen if his ascendance tames the protests in two other regional states that saw fierce protests in the past three years such as the Amhara region and Southern Ethiopia such as the Gurage Zone.
Perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel “መጪው ጊዜ የፍቅርና የይቅርታ ነው!” Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Inaugural speech incredible! I hope, pray & struggle he ‘walks the talk’ #Ethiopia #NewPM #Justice #Freedom #Unity #HumanRights #Change pic.twitter.com/PmVFpEY1NR
— Yonatan T Regassa (@regassa_t) April 2, 2018
The US Embassy in Addis Abeba welcome Abiy’s confirmation as the new PM of Ethiopia and stated that it is ready to support the “rapid implementation of democratic and economic reforms and look forward to the lifting of the State of Emergency.”
U.S. Embassy Statement on Confirmation of Dr. Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister of # Ethiopia https://t.co/wxX0j1yH0a pic.twitter.com/3wwrSCYTY5
— U.S. Embassy Addis (@USEmbassyAddis) April 2, 2018
መጨረሻውን ያሳምረው እስቲ “የአክሱም ሐውልት ለወላይታ ምኑ ነው” ከሚል መሪ” እኛ ኢትዮጵያዊያኖች ስንኖር ኢትዮጵያዊ ስንሞት ኢትዮጵያ ነን” ወደሚል መሪ ተሸጋግረናል ከኢህአዴግ ባለስልጣን ኢትዮጵያ የሚለው ስም እንዲህ ሲጠራ ለመጀመሪያ ጊዜ ነው!! pic.twitter.com/iFfRk8WLxA
— Eyerusalem tesfaw enyew (@TesfawEyu) April 2, 2018
Congratulations and our best wishes to Dr. Abiy Ahmed as new Prime-Minister of Ethiopia! 🇪🇹 pic.twitter.com/u3wCa2Ixcj
— Russia in Ethiopia (@RusEmbEthiopia) April 2, 2018
Congratulations and our best wishes to Dr. Abiy Ahmed as new Prime-Minister of Ethiopia! 🇪🇹 pic.twitter.com/u3wCa2Ixcj
— Russia in Ethiopia (@RusEmbEthiopia) April 2, 2018
The most liberal speech I’ve ever heard under Ethiopia’s sky. Abiy Ahmed literally declared departure from past. He is yet to be tested on policy fronts. All the best of luck to you, Sir.
— Tamrat G. Giorgis (@Tingert) April 2, 2018
PM Dr Abiy Ahmed recognizes Ethiopian women’s struggle for justice and acknowledges much has not been done. Expects the contribution of Ethiopian women in the new chapter ahead!!✊🏾👏🏾👏🏾 #Ethiopia 🇪🇹
— 🌞🌻Billene Aster Seyoum (@BilleneSeyoum) April 2, 2018
I am EPRDF era generation and have never witnessed such an inspiring truly Ethiopianism inaugural speech in my age. That is a dramatic political discourse shift from the past 27 years of EPRDF ideology. Hope under the sky of #Ethiopia. #PMAbiyAhmed #GodSpeed
— Yirgalem A. Haile (@Afroopowerr) April 2, 2018
As a generation, brought up under EPRDF, such a speech is heartwarming, delightful and unprecedented.
Thank you, Dr.Abiy. እግዜር ይርዳህ!
My #Ethiopia— ሔዋን ዘ ስምዖን (@Hewaniye) April 2, 2018
አጼ ምኒልክ ኢትዮጵያን ከወራሪ በመከላከልና ቴክኖሎጂ በማስገባት ኢትዮጵያን ያስረከቡን ታላቅ መሪ ናቸው።
ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር አብይ አህመድ
— Yona Bir (@Yona_Bir) April 2, 2018
ጠቅላይ ሚንስትር አብይ አህመድ ለኢቲቪ በሰጡት አስተያየት፣ አፄ ሚኒሊክ፣ ልጅ እያሱ፣ ጃንሆይና ኮሎኔል መንግስቱ ሀይለማሪያም ለሀገሪቱ የቻሉትን በጎ አስተዋፅኦ እንዳበረከቱ አስታውሰዋል።
— Ethiopia Live Updates (@Ethiopialiveupd) April 2, 2018
Ethiopia’s Obama Moment. The new prime minster paid tribute to his mother, wife and Ethiopian women. Promised dialogue to solve regional problems. Possible new peace era with Eritrea…Words counts and he had all the right words. Be blessed!!!
— Allehone Abebe (@Allehone) April 2, 2018
Abiy, in his speech, declared his commitment to human rights, democracy, freedom of speech and assembly, reached out to the Diaspora, opposition forces and highlighted the issue ethnic based racism strongly. He called on all competing parties using various methods of struggle to come forward and support the reconciliation and nation-rebuilding process.
Now everyone is asking “Will he walk the talk?”
The hardest and beginning of walk is reshuffling and completely changing EPRDF’s security sector from one ethnic domination that has been the cause of innumerable human rights abuses, significant economic inequalities and caused the protests.
Protests are very unlikely to stop if Abiy and his cabinet cannot bring the changes required by the protesters immediately.
