Crisis in Ethiopia: Medemer Over: From Reformer to Repression

A new day in Ethiopia quickly turned back to the dark and repressive days of the previous regime. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came in like a March lion promising to liberalize Ethiopia, open up the press and allow political dissension. That era came to a screeching halt last Saturday and the funeral was held yesterday afternoon in Ethiopia while the supposed free-press was busy running with the nonsensical narrative that a regional incident involving a few people was a “coup d’etat”.

After Ahmed transformed from Ethiopia’s Mandela to a neo-Mengistu live on TV as he dressed up in military attire to present himself as Africa’s next strongman, his tribal administration then lowered an iron IP curtain over the whole over Ethiopia. In what could only be described as an egregious and extralegal abuse of power, Ahmed then went a step further in restoring the heavy hand once used by Meles Zenawi as he deployed federal forces to Bahir Dar to execute the hidden agendas cooked up by extremists within Ahmed’s camp.

That agenda came into clear focus yesterday as news leaked out that 56 members of the National Movement of Amhara (NAMA) were arrested on trumped up charges of terrorism even though they were exercising their fundamental rights of free assembly and free speech that Ahmed said he would allow. This type of repressive treatment of political opponents was a favored tactic of previous regimes in Ethiopia and throughout Africa. This morning, the number of people arrested was upgraded to more than 250 and almost every one of the people arrested were Amharas. Sadly, the supposed free press like AFP are still reporting this story through the prism of a so-called “coup” instead of noting that Ahmed is targeting ethnic groups for persecution.

We yet again call on the international community and the free press to stop carrying the water of Abiy Ahmed and hold his feet to the fire. If Iran or Russia had cut off the internet throughout the country and targeted ethnic minorities, the media narrative would be radically different. Is this what journalism has become, instead of seeking truth is it all about reporting “news” through ideological and geopolitical prisms?

What is apparent is that Abiy Ahmed has made the strategic decision to abandon his empty slogan of “medemer” and instead has pivoted to cater to extremists within the ODP and OLF camps. Ahmed is no savior, he is just another politician who would rather fracture a nation in order to hold on to his power instead of taking courageous steps towards inclusion. We should have known that Ahmed was no reformer when he refused to scuttle the apartheid form of governance that is Ethnic Federalism. He has now doubled down on his processors’ bankrupt ideology of Balkanizing Ethiopia as he goes after Amharas with a vengeance.

Will the “free press” call out Abiy Ahmed and his naked power grab or will they just echo talking points and parrot government officials? We hope and pray that journalists, who entered the profession because they believe in truth and justice, will choose the former and hold Ahmed accountable or else the disintegration of Ethiopia and the horrors that will event will unleash will be on your hands.

To people all over the world who care about justice, we ask you to give voice to Ethiopians where the “free press” and the establishment ignore the plight of 105 million people who are being silenced. As evidenced by their refusal to question any aspect of the state propaganda that is being spun up by the Ethiopian government, mainstream media are not interested in doing investigative journalism and seeking truth amid a mountain of disinformation. Where the “fourth estate” have abdicated their responsibility, we ask you to be citizen journalists and use social media to spread awareness. Use #QuestionAbiy and share this article on social media to your friends, family and your network of associates. We ask you to give voice to the voiceless.

To Ethiopians at home and abroad, we ask you to please put away tribalism and hold tight to our common heritage. We are a people who pray together, eat together, dance together and cry together, do not let our differences erase our common identity or else we will pass on to our children a nation that is no more. Please stop trying to monopolize pains and work together. Instead of competing over who had it worse, let us mend through fiker and andinet. May God protect and bless Ethiopia::

This article was originally published at Ethiopians for Constitutional Monarchy.

Please watch this video with an open heart and mind and pay particular attention to the written message at the beginning and the end of the video, let us reflect on our greater common God and our common spirituality irrespective of our minor differences.

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News Share is an initiative at the Ghion Journal to share news around the world from sources that provide a unique perspective on current events and historical developments. Articles are reprinted from other sites with credits given at the bottom to the publisher of the original article.

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