Mogadishu (PP Remark) — There’s a large distinction between Ethiopia underneath Meles Zenawi as a Prime in 2006 and Ethiopia underneath Abiy Ahmed in 2024. Zenawi guided Ethiopia by the tip of the Chilly Conflict and the ‘Conflict on Terror’ period. With the assistance of Sudan, the Eritrean Folks’s Liberation Entrance, and several other Western international locations, the TPLF managed to sideline different armed fronts, such because the Oromo Liberation Entrance, to dictate how the Ethiopian Defence Forces would function. His federal venture directed the vitality of ethno-nationalists in direction of nation-building. The right-to-secede article within the Ethiopian structure did the trick. Meles knew that in Ethiopia, any regime’s political programme goals to suppress different ethnicities to remain in energy by any means. That was the least democratic facet of the TPLF reign in Ethiopia (1991-2018).
Abiy Ahmed got here to energy peacefully in 2018 however waged two civil wars—one in opposition to the Tigrayans, the opposite, ongoing, in opposition to the Amharas. These missteps didn’t cease him from attempting to annex a Somali coastal space to safe entry to the ocean. He signed a maritime Memorandum of Understanding with Somaliland Administration, a secessionist entity in northern Somalia. In contrast to Zenawi, Abiy makes an attempt to use anti-Somalia sentiments amongst sure Western politicians, who’re oblivious to the cornerstones of the post-World Conflict 2 settlement and the primacy of nations’ sovereignty as set out within the United Nations Constitution.
Abiy sees Ethiopia’s membership in BRICS as a chance to turn into extra intransigent in direction of Somalia. He expects that China and Russia will assist his land-grabbing ambitions. Somalia supported Ethiopia’s place on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2018, however in 2024, Somalia finds its territorial integrity threatened by Ethiopia keen to accumulate entry to the ocean. Abiy is extra megalomaniacal than Mengistu Haile Mariam, whom the previous Soviet Union deserted due to his disregard for the rights of ethnicities (Tigray, Oromo, Eritrea, Western Somalia aka Ogaden, Sidamo, and so on.). Mengistu pressed on with the struggle in opposition to the TPLF and EPLF to remain in energy. The end result in 1991 was the autumn of the Derg regime, and Ethiopia grew to become a landlocked nation after the independence of Eritrea in 1993.
Why is Abiy Ahmed eager on undermining the British state-building initiatives within the Federal Republic of Somalia? Ethiopian leaders’ understanding of post-World Conflict II historical past is that Addis Ababa outwitted Britain twice — first, when it persuaded the British Empire to breach Protectorate Agreements with Somali clans and let Ethiopia annex Somali territories, and second, when Britain liberated Ethiopia from fascism and had Eritrea annexed by Addis Ababa. Abiy Ahmed doesn’t see a rules-based order; he sees himself as an agent within the Horn of Africa who’s keen to combat wars on behalf of America.
Not too long ago, Ahmed misleadingly informed his inside circle that for the reason that nineteenth century, the Horn of Africa has been a battleground between Ethiopia and Britain. Bahru Zewde and Gebru Tereke, two outstanding Ethiopian historians, don’t agree with him.
© Puntland Submit, 2024
