By: Habte H.
Abiy Ahmed used the language of peace, unity, reform, and reconciliation when he come to power that resonated with millions of Ethiopians who were weary of political repression and division. Many believed a new era had arrived and that Ethiopia was finally turning a historic corner. Eight years later, however, Ethiopia finds itself trapped in a cycle of conflict, economic hardship, social fragmentation, and growing public frustration.
Today, Ethiopia bleeds from a thousand wounds – not because of a foreign invasion or a natural catastrophe, but because of political choices. It bleeds from wars that should never have been fought, divisions that should never have been deepened, and opportunities that should never have been squandered. Above all, it bleeds from a crisis of leadership.
The Bible tells the story of King Rehoboam, who inherited a united Jewish kingdom from his father Solomon. When the people asked for relief from heavy burdens, he sought advice from two groups. The elders urged him to govern with wisdom, humility, and compassion. Younger advisers encouraged him to demonstrate strength through harsher rule. Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the elders and listened to those who fed his pride. The result was disastrous: the kingdom fractured, and a united nation was divided.
History repeatedly teaches the same lesson. Leaders are often shaped by the advisers they choose to trust. Wise advisers help leaders see reality, even when it is uncomfortable. Self-serving advisers tell leaders what they want to hear. The most dangerous advisers are not those who criticize power, but those who convince a ruler that every decision is wise, and every failure is success.
Ethiopia’s tragedy today is not merely the result of policy failures. It is also the consequence of leadership increasingly insulated from reality and surrounded by voices that mistake power for wisdom. When leaders listen only to praise and suppress inconvenient truths, nations—not rulers, pay the price.
A Leadership with a Confused Vision
When Abiy Ahmed came to power, many Ethiopians saw in him a rare opportunity for national renewal. He spoke the language of peace, unity, forgiveness, and reform. Millions believed him. They invested their hopes in a leader who promised to heal old wounds and lead Ethiopia toward a more stable and prosperous future.
Today, those hopes lie shattered.
A leader’s greatness is measured not by speeches, slogans, or carefully staged ceremonies, but by the condition of the nation he leaves behind. By that standard, Ethiopia under Abiy Ahmed is a nation wounded by war, fractured by mistrust, weakened by economic hardship, and exhausted by endless political crises.
The tragedy is not merely one of failed policies. It is a failure of judgment. Time and again, Abiy has appeared guided more by impulse, personal conviction, and the counsel of hard-hearted loyalists than by wisdom, consultation, or national consensus. Leaders who surround themselves with praise eventually lose the ability to distinguish truth from propaganda. They begin to mistake fear for respect, silence for support, and political survival for national success.
Like Rehoboam of the Bible, who rejected wise counsel and listened instead to those who fed his pride, Abiy appears increasingly influenced by advisers who encourage confrontation rather than reconciliation, force rather than dialogue, and political domination rather than nation-building. History is littered with rulers destroyed not by their enemies but by the advisers who convinced them that every decision was correct, and every criticism was betrayal.
The results are visible across Ethiopia. Millions have been displaced. Countless families have buried loved ones. Entire communities have been devastated by conflict. Yet while ordinary citizens endure hardship, the government continues to celebrate achievements that many Ethiopians cannot see in their daily lives.
Perhaps the most alarming feature of the current leadership is its apparent inability to recognize the scale of the crisis. A government that believes its own propaganda becomes incapable of correcting its mistakes. A leader who hears only praise eventually loses touch with reality. And when reality is ignored long enough, nations pay a terrible price.
Ethiopia’s crisis today is not simply a crisis of policy. It is a crisis of leadership, judgment, and vision. The country desperately needs leaders who can unite rather than divide, listen rather than lecture, and confront reality rather than hide behind carefully constructed illusions.
A Nation More Divided, Poorer, and More Fragile
On national unity, Ethiopia appears more divided than at any point in recent memory. Ethnic tensions have deepened, political polarization has intensified, and trust among communities has weakened. Instead of becoming more cohesive, the nation appears increasingly fragmented.
Economically, millions of Ethiopians continue to face severe hardship. Inflation has eroded purchasing power, unemployment remains widespread, and many professionals, including teachers, health workers, university instructors, and young graduates, struggle to support their families. While government officials point to economic reforms and infrastructure projects, the daily reality for many citizens is one of rising costs and declining opportunities.
The education sector presents another troubling picture. Millions of children remain out of school due to conflict, displacement, insecurity, and poverty. Beyond access, concerns about declining educational quality and weakening academic culture have become widespread. A nation cannot build its future while its children are deprived of learning opportunities.
The health sector faces similar challenges. Citizens increasingly confront expensive private healthcare services while public facilities often struggle with shortages of supplies, equipment, and demotivated personnel. Health workers themselves face difficult working conditions and declining morale.
Infrastructure development, often highlighted as a major achievement, tells a mixed story. While visible projects have emerged around Addis Ababa, many regions have seen limited improvements relative to their needs. For many rural communities, access to roads, markets, healthcare, and basic services remains inadequate.
The Erosion of Ethiopia’s Social Fabric
Perhaps the most serious damage is less visible than roads, buildings, or economic statistics. Ethiopia’s social fabric, the trust, solidarity, and shared sense of belonging that bind citizens together, has suffered profound erosion. The foundations of nationhood are not merely physical infrastructure or economic indicators. They are the relationships between citizens, the belief in a shared future, and the willingness to stand together during difficult times. These foundations have weakened considerably.
A visit to many rural communities reveals an Ethiopia rarely reflected in official narratives. In some areas, families struggle with food insecurity, children suffer from inadequate services, and young people see few opportunities for advancement. Even in parts of the Prime Minister’s home region, many communities continue to face significant developmental challenges.
When leaders become surrounded by praise rather than truth, reality can become distorted. Advisers who tell leaders only what they want to hear often contribute more to national decline than external enemies. History is full of leaders who believed they were succeeding while their nations quietly deteriorated around them.
Conclusion: Abiy Ahmed Must Resign and his advisors accountable
Ethiopia’s crisis is not economic collapse, ethnic violence, or drought. Those are symptoms. The disease is leadership. Abiy Ahmed inherited a wounded nation and promised healing. He has delivered only deeper wounds. Millions dead. Millions displaced. A generation of children pulled from school. A health system in ruins. An economy that crushes the poor while the powerful feast. And over all of it, a government that projects success while burying its dead in secret.
No leader is bigger than Ethiopia. Political power is a public trust, not a throne. When a leader surrounds himself with hard-hearted advisors who feed his ego and silence truth; when a leader refuses accountability for war crimes, famine policies, and ethnic massacres; when a leader has lost the moral authority to govern – that leader must go. Not after another election. Not after another “reform.” Not after another meaningless apology.
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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