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Verdict on Medemer
Zegeye Amare
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Medemer philosophy, meaning synergy or “coming together,” was embraced by the state as a unifying framework to heal Ethiopia’s ethnic and political fractures through collective progress and national renaissance. The government assumed Medemer embodied true synergy—harmonizing diverse identities into a cohesive nation via dialogue, cooperation, and inclusivity. Yet, despite its promise, Medemer remains a vague and largely uncomprehended ideal, as Abiy’s leadership style undercuts its core principles.
Vision vs. Reality
Medemer aims to transcend zero-sum ethnic politics by fostering national unity and social cohesion. The state portrayed it as a pathway to peace and development, with intellectuals called to develop it as an intergenerational project1. However, Abiy’s governance has betrayed these ideals by silencing dissent, branding critics as divisive or traitors, and enforcing top-down policies that excluded key regional actors. Instead of dialogue, his approach demanded conformity, dismantling Ethiopia’s ethnic federalism and fueling rebellions in Oromia, Tigray, and Amhara68.
The “Know-It-All” Syndrome
Abiy projects a visionary image but suppresses expertise and opposition:
• Large projects proceed despite expert warnings, prioritizing political symbolism over substance.
• Unity is enforced through repression—internet blackouts, arrests, and deadly crackdowns contradict claims of listening to the people.
• The Amhara case exemplifies this: initially allied with Abiy against the TPLF, the Amhara Fano militia felt betrayed when excluded from peace talks and faced disarmament by federal forces. The sidelining of Amhara interests and harsh military actions against their militias and civilians ignited violent conflict, showing how Abiy’s refusal to share power deepened divisions rather than healed them6.
• The Tigray war, launched ignoring warnings, caused massive humanitarian disaster, revealing the cost of Abiy’s certainty and exclusion of critical voices.
Despite Medemer’s emphasis on synergy, Abiy’s leadership fails to grasp its essence. As scholar Yonas Biru notes, while Abiy champions Medemer’s principles, his governance is a reductive operation lacking humility and openness to counsel, resulting in growing political fragmentation and ethnic extremism5. The Rift Valley Institute also highlights that Abiy’s government sought to mobilize unity and inclusion but was hindered by elite fragmentation, polarization, and violence, reversing early gains.
The Cost of Hubris
The fallout has been catastrophic:
• Hundreds of thousands killed in conflict.
• Democratic erosion with censored media and barred opposition.
• Economic hardship worsened by sidelined technocrats and punitive policies disguised as environmental initiatives.
Conclusion
While the Ethiopian state assumed Medemer was genuine synergy—a philosophy of inclusion, cooperation, and collective growth—Abiy’s “know-it-all” leadership turned it into a tool of control and exclusion. True synergy requires humility and dialogue, qualities Abiy has yet to demonstrate. Until then, Medemer remains a cautionary tale of how noble visions collapse when leadership prioritizes authority over collaboration.
You cannot build synergy through subtraction. Ethiopia’s renaissance depends on replacing monologue with dialogue.
Sources:
Ethiopian News Agency, June 2023
Washington Post, 2019
Yonas Biru, PhD, ZeHabesha, Feb 2024
Rift Valley Institute, Ethiopia Peace Research Facility Report
Good Authority, Sept 2023
Policy Center for the New South, Analysis on Abiy Ahmed’s Medemer Reforms
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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“This piece captures the core issue—what’s called ‘Medemer’ today feels more like piling parts together without understanding how they connect. True synergy needs empathy, psychology, and coherence—not just slogans.”
Reminder: You can take a horse to a river, but you can’t force it to drink the water!
1). Take It or Leave It: Abiy’s party was elected with on-site observers from AU/UN/EU/US/etc.
i). ALL Ethiopians were invited to run/participate in the election. No excuse for boycotting!
ii). Any election irregularity could have been reported & contested right there & right then on-site.
iii). Election outcomes are EQUALLY binding for ALL ≥86 Ethiopian ethnics. NO EXCEPTIONS!
2). Democracy & Domestic Terrorism [DT]: Armed Insurrection [AI] to topple an elected government is DT. In a democratic society, the only way to topple an elected government is via elections. Those who resort to violence like AI face justice.
3). Amaras & Ethiopia: Ethiopia is ≈125 million. Amaras make ≈24% [≈30 million]. Addis is ≈70% Amara [≈5 million]. > 15 million live in Oromia [ youtu.be/IXBVqbOe9uY?t=2320 ]. >1 million live in other Ethnic States. So, ≈9 million Amaras live in Amara Zone [AZ]. Why would more Amaras live in Oromia if they face any threat?
Cf.: I met no Oromo in Gojjam & Gonder during many trips & sojourns over many years. Amaras live all over Ethiopia and benefit the most from Ethiopia [education/health care/jobs]. If they face any threat, why would 21 million live out side AZ?
4). Amara Fanno [Misnomer]: Most operate around Lake Tana & Abbay [Blue Nile]. Their task is to assure Egypt’s ‘Historical Nile Water Quota’ by halting water-related projects.
i). They executed the Amara Peace Envoys [Moms/Elders/Priests/Imams/Teachers/etc.].
ii). Derailed Amaras’ Food Security Programs: youtu.be/_ejBczkTHlA?t=300
iii). Destroyed Agro-Industry Businesses: youtu.be/xvv-gCotkVo
iv). Killed Oromos: (a). youtu.be/mj0_41cu5tM?t=7 ; (b). youtu.be/hpTNt0QRQqA?t=29
5). Egypt’s Proxy Dogs [EPD]: Egypt created/funded/trained/armed EPD to keep Ethiopia in perpetual Proxy Wars and give Egypt free rein over Nile. Here are some EPD:
i). EPLF/ELF (Eritrea since 1960s); (ii). TPLF (Tigray since 1970s); (iii). ‘Oromo’: OLF (1970s) & IFLO (1980s); (iv). ONLF (Ogaden since 1980s); (v). ‘Amara Fanno’ [Latest Recruits]
6). TPLF-TDF’s War on Ethiopia [2020]: They sparked the 2-year war with the massacre of Ethiopia’s Northern Command soldiers in their sleep [to rendered Ethiopia defenseless]. They also committed Amara Genocide at Maykadra [massacred >600 Amaras in a day]. Alas, over 1 million Tigrayans died fighting to bring back TPLF-TDF to power. How savage of TPLF!