Teblez Fisseha

The Prosperity Party under Abiy Ahmed is perhaps the most fragile political party ever to lead #Ethiopia, leaving it highly vulnerable to a coup d’état or even a popular uprising. One of Abiy’s ministers has reportedly remarked, “When dealing with Abiy, you never know whether you are swimming or sinking.” The Dergu under Menghistu Hailemariam managed to establish itself among the population through terror and its Workers’ Party, while the EPRDF enjoyed a broad popular base and commanded a military and security apparatus capable of controlling the population. Both regimes also benefited from substantial international backing, largely for ideological and political reasons. Looking at Ethiopia under the Prosperity Party led by Abiy Ahmed today, the picture is starkly different. Not only does his government lack meaningful support among majority sections of the #Oromo, #Amhara and #Tigrayan populations, but the military is battered by prolonged warfare, the economy is fragile and teetering on the brink, and his principal external backer, the UAE, is highly transactional in its relationships. Meanwhile, the population appears to be just one triggering incident away from a popular uprising. All of #Ethiopia’s neighbouring countries are either suspicious of Abiy’s government or Abiy is openly hostile towards them. It is therefore difficult to escape the conclusion that #Ethiopia, under Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party, is exceptionally vulnerable to either a coup d’état or a popular uprising. The question is what is the triggering incident. Because the people who are disgusted by Abiy are too many to imagine.

This young #Eritrean girl has been going viral for a week because of her creativity and the way she has encapsulated the sentiments of an entire nation towards the ludicrous claims to #Eritrea’s ports by successive Ethiopian leaders and their cheerleaders. We are in awe of her ingenuity! 🇪🇷 #EritreaPrevails