Getachew Reda and Abiy Ahmed Ali: A symbiosis Relationship?

By Mastewal Ayele 

On Al Jazeera, journalist Mehdi asked Getachew Reda, former president of the transitional regional Tigray administration, who is now serving in a ministerial-level position as the Prime Minister’s East Africa advisor—the same prime minister he once openly despised and repeatedly called a genocider. This question lies at the heart of this reflection. Why would someone who had vividly and consistently described who Abiy Ahmed Ali is as a person, and who ridiculed him in almost every interview before the Pretoria Agreement, change his mind and agree to serve under someone he himself had called “lowly”? This is what puzzles many Ethiopians, and it is precisely what journalist Mehdi was asking. Getachew and Abiy stood on opposite sides of a war that claimed one million young lives in just two years, from November 2020 to November 2022. Both remain among those primarily responsible for that massacre. How come these two join hands? What is Abiy Ahmed gaining from Getachew and vice versa? What is this symbiosis relationship about? Let us see a few reasons. 

1.     Abiy thinks Getachew represents Pretoria agreement

It is known that the two-year war in Tigray, confirmed through various means, including satellite imagery, resulted in some of the highest crimes against humanity of the 21st century. The international community was complicit in this crime, and they wanted to close that chapter by bringing both sides to a peace agreement in Pretoria. Otherwise, they would force Abiy and his generals to face the International Criminal Court (ICC). To maintain his hold on power, Abiy had to show that he was willing for peace, and he continued working with leaders like Getachew and even General Tsadikan, along with General Tadese Werede, who joined later at the Nairobi follow-up meeting. As long as Abiy and Getachew presented themselves together, the West and the international community at large would believe that Abiy was honoring the Pretoria Agreement. In reality, the Pretoria Agreement was gradually hijacked by Abiy. First, he moved it to Halala Kela, where he excluded all foreigners, including representatives from the African Union (AU), the U.S., the U.K., and the EU. Then, he took it to a photo-op in one of his Parks in Addis Ababa, where war criminals gathered and exchanged gifts. That’s when the Pretoria Agreement was effectively buried, and “Abiynomia” began. When it comes to the real Pretoria Agreement, it doesn’t exist. What remains is only the appearance of it – a façade. So Getachew is valuable for Abiy in that sense. He serves him as a symbol of the Pretoria agreement result.

2.     Abiy thinks Getachew will help him to divide and rule the Tigrayans

In Abiy’s mind, as he avoids fully implementing the Pretoria Agreement and seeks to maintain control over Tigray by dividing the TPLF forces—his archenemies—Getachew is a tool in this strategy. There is one group in Ethiopia that is a constant headache for Abiy: the TPLF and the Tigray people. That is how Abiy thinks. He can easily divide the Oromo and Amhara or other ethnic groups. So far, he has been successful. The TPLF, as a party, is unified and experienced. It has learned to set aside internal differences and unite in the face of external enemies. Similarly, the Tigray people stand in unity, fighting back even after major defeats. Abiy understands this resilience. Unless he divides them, he knows he cannot conquer them. He has witnessed it in the three rounds of war. His own army was fleeing from city to city, and he was almost out of power—if not for the forces in Amhara that came to his aid. 

To achieve his goal, Abiy sought to use money and power, offering Getachew these incentives. Getachew appears to have taken the bait. After serving two years as the interim transitional president of Tigray, he managed to divide the party and the people to some extent. Whether this division is temporary or permanent remains to be seen, as the TPLF forces are capable of very complex and sophisticated strategies. They may have a grand plan that others are not yet seeing. Time will reveal it. For Abiy, however, this strategy seems to be working. He has successfully separated Getachew and his allies from the old guard. Abiy is now working to represent Tigray in the next election through a new party called Simret, thanks to Getachew and his colleagues. The issue is this: what if the TPLF forces are playing a more subtle game, dividing themselves into two factions—one that works with Abiy and the other that opposes him? By doing this, they could gain more leverage over Abiy until the right moment comes to push him out of office. No one knows this for sure yet.

3.     Abiy thinks Getachew will act as a cover up for Tigray genocide

One of the main issues for Abiy is the genocide and war crimes committed during the war he led. The two-year war cost the lives of about 1 million youths from both sides. As long as Abiy and Getachew hang out in public and take pictures, those who lost their lives will be forgotten forever, thinks Abiy. That is what we saw on the program Head to Head on Al Jazeera with journalist Mehdi Hasan asking Getachew if Abiy is a genocider: “You hated him. You called him a genocidal warmonger.” “So you believe it was genocide but won’t say he did it?” “So he led the genocide?” Even after such direct questions, Getachew was not instantly forthcoming. He tried to rescue Abiy, which was perplexing for many Ethiopians to see, including most of the Tigray people. Even Mehdi was surprised by his response. Abiy is hoping the question of genocide washes away if he manages to hang out with the co-genocider himself, as Getachew is also responsible for inciting during the war, encouraging people to go against each other. Especially regarding the Tigray and Amhara people going to war, he played his part too. So Abiy thinks if both sides are together, no one will come for justice for those who died in vain. But what we have learnt from human history, the blood of those all who have fallen due to power gambling will get their justice one day. 

4.     Abiy Thinks Getachew gives him a cover up for his new Genocide in Amhara region

After the Pretoria Agreement, under the pretext of implementing it, Abiy sent his army to the Amhara region. Abiy and his colleagues communicated to the international community, deceiving them into believing that many Amhara youth had armed themselves during the two-year war with the TPLF. When the TPLF forces marched toward Addis Ababa three times, during each of those rounds, special forces from the Amhara region and the youth in Amhara were armed by the government and with weapons captured from the defeated Tigray forces in the region. 

Now, Abiy has created a pretext in the Amhara region to suppress the people and force them into submission. His generals have stated that they will not only disarm the people but also take their “trousers” – a symbolic expression of humiliating others. This threat is a clear call for the youth in Amhara to rise against his government. Abiy and his allies are fascists who wrongly believe they can go and kill farmers living in the mountains, in darkness without light or proper water, yet who have sustained the land for centuries. They fail to understand that these people are law-abiding with a deep sense of law and order. But if the government itself trespasses the law, they come down on it like a swarm of bees. Like Americans, they use guns for self-protection and are not willing to give them up. As a result, Abiy faced fierce resistance. He lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the past three years. Abiy and his generals have inadvertently strengthened the Fano forces. Fano has effectively become a national force in its own right.

The military is using drones and heavy artillery to target civilians. Meanwhile, Fano, using guerrilla warfare tactics, has effectively decimated Abiy’s army. Abiy and his generals, with the help of UAE drones, are killing civilians daily, acting as a terrorist force while operating in areas like 4 Kilo. Getachew, as a symbol of Pretoria, is merely a cover-up for all the crimes Abiy is committing in the Amhara region. The international community remains silent. Partly because they believe Abiy is implementing the Pretoria Agreement, and partly because they are deceived into thinking the resistance in the Amhara region is minimal. The reality is that in hundreds of towns and mountains, multiplied by thousands of forces, over half a million Fano fighters are spread across the 30 million people in the Amhara region. This means that a force capable of defending the country is already trained and prepared.

5.     Abiy thinks Getachew can help him access to Ambassadors, and international community 

Pragmatically, Abiy believes that Getachew is skilled in communication. He is particularly effective in communicating with ambassadors and the broader diplomatic world in a language they understand. Over the past seven years, we’ve seen how Ethiopia has become increasingly weak within the diplomatic network. Diplomacy requires its own framework for communication. You cannot be a diplomat or work in international affairs simply because you have a degree or wear a nice suit. You need to understand how the international community engages in discourse and how they communicate with each other. There are codes and complex frameworks that a simple cadre cannot grasp entirely.

Getachew possesses this caliber, and thanks to his former bosses, he has gained access and trained himself in this field. Abiy, on the other hand, has limitations in articulating in English. Getachew is well-connected with the East African community and has acquainted himself with Europeans and Americans. He can go on any media platform, even participate in hard-hitting discussions, and argue effectively. While Abiy uses a more superficial diplomacy—handshakes, and smiles—he struggles to express his ideas clearly. Therefore, Abiy relies on Getachew not only for his network but also for his ability to communicate effectively with the diplomatic community.

6.     Abiy thinks forgiving Getachew gives him a forgiving king image

Another value Abiy is leveraging is the symbolism of appointing a person who had been publicly criticizing him for over four years to a ministerial position in his government. This move carries significant symbolism. Abiy wants to present himself to both the international community and his fellow countrymen as a man of peace—a Nobel Peace Prize winner with a peaceful mind and heart, someone who is only dragged into war and conflict by his enemies. This is the image he seeks to project, with Getachew by his side. If this is working, by now many know who he is. It is written ” Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” and how blood thirsty when it comes to his power, he has said and done a lot.

Beyond that, Abiy also aims to send a message of mercy to those who oppose and stand against him. It’s akin to the story of King David, who brought one of King Saul’s grandsons, Jonathan’s son, to sit at his table—a symbol of mercy and forgiveness. By doing this, Abiy portrays himself as a merciful leader who forgives those who have wronged him. In effect, he sends a message to all the fighters out there that they can return, align with him, and even hold ministerial positions—so long as they do not disturb his kingship.

Conclusion

What does Getachew benefit from Abiy? Everything: power, money, the lifestyle that Getachew enjoys, and so on. If Getachew Reda has more in his heart beyond his selfish agenda, we’ll have to wait and see. As he says, if he plans to compensate the Tigray people for his failed leadership, alongside the rest of the TPLF, in one way or another, time will tell. At least during his two-year presidency of the region, Tigray was receiving government budgets and subsidies. But for the future, we’ll have to wait and see. However, so far, Abiy Ahmed and his allies seem to be trying to benefit the most from Getachew Reda and his colleagues. Will this dynamic continue, or will the symbiotic relationship end abruptly? Time will tell. So far, it seems to be working for both sides.

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

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