Our Pain; Their Pleasure: Rebuttal To Mohamud A. Ahmed’s Characterization Of Abiy Ahmed Ali As A Reformist

(Getahun Assefa)

The portrayal of Abiy Ahmed Ali, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, as a reformist figure is a deeply flawed narrative that often stems from parochial ethnic and religious loyalties, where supporters prioritize tribal or sectarian affiliations over objective scrutiny of his actions. Alternatively, this misguided characterization can arise from insidious networks of corruption and bribery, as political aspirants and party loyalists exchange flattery for favors, personal gain, or positions of power within his administration. In truth, any individual endowed with a sound mind and a thoughtful analytical framework would recoil at the notion of dubbing Abiy a reformist; his tenure has been marred by ruthless military campaigns, including the indiscriminate use of drones and warplanes that have claimed countless civilian lives in regions like Amhara, Tigray and Oromia. Far more fitting descriptors for him are those that capture the grim reality of his rule: a killer who has unleashed violence on his own people, a genocidal architect presiding over ethnic cleansings and mass atrocities, a corrupt leader entangled in cronyism and embezzlement, and an unrepentant warmonger whose escalatory policies have plunged the nation into cycles of devastation and despair. To whitewash these truths is not just intellectual dishonesty but a betrayal of the victims whose blood stains his legacy.

In his recent article, “The Misunderstood Reformer: Dr. Abiy Ahmed and the Burden of Ethiopia’s Unfinished Greatness,” Mohamud A. Ahmed paints a sympathetic portrait of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as a visionary leader grappling with Ethiopia’s complex challenges. Ahmed argues that Abiy’s reforms are misunderstood, burdened by historical legacies and external pressures, positioning him as a beacon of progress in a nation striving for greatness. This narrative, however, is not just flawed—it’s dangerously irresponsible. It glosses over the catastrophic human cost of Abiy’s tenure, where policies and conflicts have led to widespread death, displacement, and despair. To label Abiy a “reformer” while ignoring the suffering of millions is ethnocentric at best and inhumane at worst. For Ethiopians enduring this nightmare, our pain seems to fuel the pleasure of those who romanticize power from afar.

Since Abiy Ahmed assumed office in 2018, Ethiopia has descended into a vortex of violence and humanitarian crisis that belies any claim to reformist glory. The Tigray war alone, which erupted in November 2020, has resulted in staggering loss of life. Estimates suggest hundreds of thousands have perished, including civilians targeted in airstrikes and massacres. In one horrific incident in June 2021, an airstrike on a market in Tigray killed at least 60 people and injured over 40, with reports of bodies scattered amid the rubble. Beyond Tigray, ethnic violence in regions like Benishangul-Gumuz and Oromia has claimed thousands more, with government forces implicated in attacks that left dozens of dead in a single massacre in 2020. Ahmed’s article conveniently overlooks these grim realities, focusing instead on Abiy’s purported burdens. But how can one speak of “unfinished greatness” when millions of Ethiopians lie dead, their lives extinguished in conflicts exacerbated under Abiy’s watch? The cumulative death toll from protests, wars, and ethnic clashes since 2018 runs into the hundreds of thousands, if not more, turning reformist rhetoric into a cruel irony.

 This violence has not only killed but uprooted entire communities, creating one of the world’s largest populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs). As of mid-2025, over 3.45 million people remain displaced across Ethiopia, primarily due to conflict and drought. In Tigray and Amhara alone, forced evictions and military operations have evicted millions from their homes, leaving them in makeshift camps with inadequate shelter and security. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that conflict accounts for 69% of these displacements, with many IDPs facing repeated uprooting as fighting persists. Ahmed’s piece mentions Ethiopia’s “transition,” but what transition justifies rendering millions homeless in their own country? Families torn from ancestral lands now languish in limbo, their pleas for return ignored amid ongoing hostilities. This is not reform; it’s a systematic unravelling of social fabric, where the displaced bear the brunt of Abiy’s failures to broker lasting peace.

 The toll on Ethiopia’s future generations is equally devastating. Approximately 13 million children are out of school nationwide, with an additional 3.5 million at risk of dropping out due to conflict, poverty, and displacement. In Tigray, an estimated 4.2 million children have been denied education since the war began, their schools destroyed or repurposed as military bases. UNICEF warns that without urgent intervention, a generation risks permanent exclusion from learning, perpetuating cycles of poverty and instability. In regions like Amhara and Oromia, where schools have been caught in crossfire, children as young as five are forced into labor or idleness, their dreams deferred indefinitely. Ahmed extols Abiy’s vision for Ethiopia’s greatness, yet what greatness emerges from robbing 11 million children of their right to education? This educational blackout is a direct consequence of Abiy’s militarized approach, prioritizing control over classrooms.

 Compounding this misery is Ethiopia’s deepening food insecurity, where 25-30 million people depend on aid to survive. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 30.6 million Ethiopians face severe acute food insecurity between June and August 2025, with nearly 1.2 million in emergency phases bordering on famine. Conflict in key agricultural areas has disrupted farming, while economic shocks and climate extremes exacerbate the crisis. The World Food Programme (WFP) highlights that 80% of Ethiopians rely on agriculture, yet ongoing wars have left fields fallow and markets empty. In Tigray, blockades during the war led to starvation tactics, a grim echo in current shortages. Ahmed’s narrative of burdened leadership ignores how Abiy’s policies have entrenched this dependency, turning a once self-reliant nation into one begging for handouts.

Nowhere is the hollowness of Abiy’s reformer label more evident than in the ongoing wars in Amhara and Oromia. In Amhara, the conflict between federal forces and Fano militias rages on into 2025, marked by war crimes including extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances. Similarly, Oromia endures insurgencies and crackdowns, with protests evolving into armed resistance against perceived marginalization. These are not mere “challenges” as Ahmed might frame them; they are devastating wars pitting Ethiopians against their own government, with civilians caught in the middle. 

 Finally, the unaddressed war crimes in Amhara, Tigray and Oromia stand as a monument to impunity under Abiy. Reports document mass killings, sexual violence, and ethnic cleansing by Ethiopian and allied forces, yet justice remains elusive. United Nations experts warn of ongoing risks of atrocities, with transitional justice mechanisms failing to deliver accountability. Tigrayans continue to suffer without redress, their pain dismissed in narratives like Ahmed’s.

 Calling Abiy a reformer amid this carnage is not just uninformed—it’s immoral. Ethiopia’s “unfinished greatness” cannot be built on the graves of its people. Ahmed’s piece exemplifies how distant observers derive intellectual pleasure from oversimplified stories, while we endure the pain. True reform demands confronting these truths, not burying them.

Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com  

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