Borkena
Toronto – With the ruling Prosperity Party controlling more than 90 percent of Ethiopia’s 547 parliamentary seats, opposition voices in the parliament are few.
Desalegn Chanie, a member of parliament from the National Movement of Amhara (NaMA), is one such voice. During Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s parliamentary appearance on Tuesday, Desalegn posed pointed questions that visibly angered the Prime Minister, drawing a reaction of resentment.
Desalegn accused the Prime Minister and his party of being “brewers of war” in Ethiopia. He referenced the devastating war in Tigray—which claimed an estimated 600,000 lives or more—as well as the ongoing conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions, and security problems in Benishangul and South Ethiopia .
The MP also highlighted ethnic profiling and violence against the Amhara community, citing the mass arrests of Ethiopians of ethnic Amhara origin in Addis Ababa. These arrests were based on photo identification, according to the MP. The government projected it at the time as a measure that is part of the emergency decree tied to what it described as a “law enforcement operation” in Amhara region.
The crackdown has extended to members of parliament from the Amhara region, including Christian Tadele, Yohannes Buayalew, and Kasa Teshager (the latter two serving at regional and city government levels). Prime Minister Abiy later linked the arrests to statement they made to “control Arat Kilo” but failed to provide evidence to justify the arrests.
The impact of the conflicts on civilians has been severe. “More than 250 civilians have been killed in drone attacks in the past five months alone,” Desalegn stated.
He also raised concerns about the skyrocketing cost of living, which has become unbearable for many Ethiopians.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, however, sidestepped the core questions regarding the arrests and massacres of ethnic Amhara civilians. He also avoided addressing the widespread conflicts that have plagued the country over the past six years. Instead, he turned the focus back on Desalegn, accusing him of failing to condemn the Fano forces in the Amhara region—whom he did not name directly—and implying that the MP lacked just grounds for his criticisms.
Abiy’s proposed solution to the crisis in the Amhara region—where Fano forces have taken up arms against what they call an “existential threat”—is for the rebels to “lay down their arms and discuss resolving problems peacefully.” It sounds more like order rather than calls for negotiation.
The Prime Minister added, “They will not win even if we fight for five or six years,” signaling that the federal government’s military operations in the Amhara region are unlikely to end soon.
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