Borkena News Desk
Toronto, Canada — On Wednesday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed delivered a speech at the Convention Center in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, where he made a pointed reference to what he described as “scavengers hovering in the sky” and seeking to steal meat.
The speech was delivered during an event organized to launch the National Dialogue. The National Dialogue Commission has spent the past four years collecting agenda items for the process. Earlier this month, the commission announced that it had classified the agenda items into different categories.
The event was attended by senior government officials, including the Speaker of the House, diplomats based in Addis Ababa, and the Secretary-General of IGAD, among others. Members of the Ethiopian diaspora also attended the event. The commission, or the government behind the event, reportedly covered travel-related expenses, including hotel accommodation and meals.
While the commission has faced extensive criticism over questions surrounding its neutrality, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed presented an image of a commission that has no legitimacy concerns. Critics, however, continue to view the National Dialogue Commission as a tool of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The prime minister also made a reference to geopolitical rivals, describing them as “scavengers hovering over the sky” and waiting to steal meat. He linked the political and security challenges facing Ethiopia to these forces. At the same time, the country has continued to face recurring criticism over repressive measures against freedom of expression and peaceful political opposition.
During his recent appearance before parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also appeared to suggest that the current government structure — based on ethnic-based federal states — would not be changed. This is one of the reasons critics see the National Dialogue as potentially serving to legitimize the status quo.
Meanwhile, reports emerged this week that senior officials of the ruling party held what appeared to be a closed-door meeting in Nazret, also known as Adama, to discuss agenda items being advanced in connection with the National Dialogue Commission. Although the reports have not been independently verified, sources claim that the ruling party is pushing for an amendment to Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution, which stipulates “the right to self-determination, including secession.”
The status of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, including the possibility of organizing the two cities as federal states, is also reportedly among the agenda items being pushed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s party. According to sources who reportedly leaked details about the meeting in Adama, the ethnic enclaves and the system of governance dominated by ethnic elites are likely to remain intact.
However, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not hint at any of these issues during his speech. Instead, his political message focused largely on external challenges and what he described as the illegality of Ethiopia’s loss of access to the Red Sea.
Take a listen to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s speech and share your views in the comment section.
Video: embedded from Fana TV YouTube channel.
Cover photo: Screenshot from the video
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