Since the coming of PM ABiy in Ethiopia April 2018 thousands killed, many more injured and over 3 million people displaced due to rising ethnic violence. Premier Abiy’s regime has failed a major test and to date, little has been done for people driven from their homes and for those needing protection from Eritrea trained armed Oromo extremist groups. Since the new PM took office, an ethnic-nationalist narrative is much more dominant.
An ethnically rooted regime in Ethiopia sine 1991 is fertile ground for such extremism and all efforts must be made to build unity based on non irridentist principles. The ethnically-based policy brought undue tensions and the huge number of internally displaced people is the first real test of PM Ahmed’s government. Those Ethiopians that have been forced from their homes need to be supported and re-settled as a matter of urgency and measures taken to ensure that ethnic violence is dealt with as a criminal act, whilst introducing methods that encourage social cohesion. This only possible if the regime stops encouraging tribal crisis and gives swift policy reversal.
