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Ethiopia has ended the year on a very uncomfortable and worrying note. Since the arrival of the pandemic, the upsurge in protests in Oromio to the war in Tigray. One thing is for sure: the country will enter 2021 completely changed.
As was the case for many this year, 2020 began full of optimism and goodwill.
The Addis Ababa-based African Union ended its 33rd session making 2020 the year of ‘Silence the Guns’.
But those guns have gone off quite a bit.
There was sudden death of beloved musician Hachalu Hundessa who sparked Oromo protests across the country.
The growing tensions mainly with Egypt and Sudan over the Great Dam of the Ethiopian Renaissance (GERD). Ethiopia unilaterally began filling the dam in July despite a disagreement with its neighbors. The negotiations are still in the air.
But the biggest explosion this year was the raid on Tigray to end what Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called TPLF terrorists.
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Economically, Ethiopia started out strong. But as seen across the continent and the world, the arrival of the pandemic meant that everything was affected.
But the country took several steps to keep COVID-19 infections at bay, thereby mitigating the impact on its economy, the World Bank notes.
Ethiopia in short has had a whirlwind touring in 2020.
Here’s a look at some of his great moments:
1.Egypt / Ethiopia: ‘I will vote for a war’ – Naguib Sawiris
Egyptian business magnate Naguib Sawiris gave a candid interview to Africa Report. It has done a lot of business with its regional neighbor Ethiopia. But on issues about the Nile River, referring to the GERD, he wasted no words, saying that if war was the only solution to remedy the situation, he would support it. Later, the outgoing President of the United States, Donald Trump, echoed the same idea.
For the full text, go here.
2. Ethiopian Airlines is committed to the value of the brand by continuing to fly to China
When the pandemic finally made landfall on the continent, most domestic airlines stopped international flights, especially to China. But not the Ethiopian airlines. The move meant that it was one of the only airlines to import PPE from China to Africa through Addis Ababa, prompting much praise and condemnation.
For the full text, go here.
3. Ethiopia: who and what is behind the Oromia crisis: a look from the Abiy camp
Following the deadly shooting of musician Hachelu Hundessa, Oromo protesters took to the streets across the country. Opposition activists accuse the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of trying to reassert central control over Oromia and dismissing his campaign for cultural and linguistic rights.
For the full text, go here.
4. ‘Abiy Ahmed had to punish those who tried to divide Ethiopia’ – President of Djibouti
While Djibouti’s President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh spoke to us about how his country has worked hard to become a global hub, he also took a moment to comment on the choice made by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy. In this interview, he explains why he understands the difficult decision Abiy was forced to make against the TPLF.
For the full text, go here.
5. Tigray: the AU failed Ethiopia, while the United States makes the decisions
As mentioned above, the UA theme for the year was “Silencing the Guns”. As the Tigray conflict unfolded, forcing thousands to flee the region seeking refuge in neighboring Sudan, along with a high death toll, the same question was echoed across the continent: Where? was the UA?
For the full text, go here.
