By Ambassador Media
When Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister in 2018, the world applauded what seemed like the dawn of a new era. With political prisoners released and peace talks initiated with Eritrea, many hoped Ethiopia was on a path toward genuine democracy. However, seven years later, the optimism has faded. Under Abiy’s rule, Ethiopia has entered a dangerous phase of authoritarian consolidation—marked by political repression, military violence, and forced displacement disguised as development.
Democracy Reversed
Despite promising democratic reforms, Abiy’s administration has systematically dismantled the political freedoms it once championed. Opposition parties have been marginalized or outlawed, critics silenced, and journalists jailed or forced into exile. Elections have lacked credibility, and institutions that should safeguard checks and balances have been co-opted or weakened.
The federalist structure enshrined in Ethiopia’s constitution—designed to protect ethnic autonomy and regional self-governance—is being eroded in favor of centralized authority controlled by the Prosperity Party.
Corridor Development: Beautification Over Basic Needs
As humanitarian crises escalate across Ethiopia, the government has doubled down on corridor development and urban beautification projects. In cities like Addis Ababa and others across the country, shiny infrastructure, parks, and wide boulevards are rising—but at what cost?
Entire neighborhoods are being razed, and thousands of residents are being evicted without adequate consultation, compensation, or relocation. These forced displacements are carried out under heavy security presence, often violently, with little regard for human rights. The projects benefit a select few while pushing the urban poor and ethnic minorities further into vulnerability.
Meanwhile, more than 20 million Ethiopians are estimated to be in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Food insecurity, internal displacement, and healthcare shortages continue to plague much of the population. Critics say the government’s spending priorities reflect not the needs of the people, but the regime’s desire for image-building and political control.
War, Ethnic Conflict, and Suppression
From Tigray to Oromia to Amhara, Ethiopia remains engulfed in conflict. The government’s response has consistently been military, not political. The war in Tigray left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced. Ongoing violence in Oromia and Amhara continues to cause humanitarian devastation—yet voices calling for peace, federal dialogue, or accountability are silenced.
Reports of extrajudicial killings, ethnic profiling, and mass detentions have become common. Journalists, activists, and civilians who document these abuses risk imprisonment or worse.
International Silence and Domestic Resistance
Despite growing evidence of authoritarian practices and human rights abuses, much of the international community remains hesitant to confront the reality of Abiy’s leadership. However, within Ethiopia and the diaspora, voices of resistance continue to rise—demanding justice, transparency, and a return to constitutional democracy.
Conclusion: Ethiopia at a Crossroads
Ethiopia is in crisis—not only due to war and famine but because of a leadership that is increasingly intolerant of dissent and disconnected from the lived realities of its people. Development that displaces, governance that silences, and reform that reverses is not progress—it is oppression.
Ambassador Media urges international actors, civil society, and all concerned Ethiopians to call for an end to forced displacement, the re
