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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will make his first trip to the United States on Thursday when he visits the diaspora community in Washington.
The visit arrives at a climax of Ahmed's brief but hectic mandate. The Ethiopian Prime Minister
Earlier this year, Ethiopia faced widespread unrest and violent protests against a government that seemed insensitive and entrenched.
In less than four months, Ahmed has led a dramatic turnaround. Radical reforms have cracked down on dissent, strengthened civil liberties and begun to heal the wounds of decades of ethnic tension and marginalization.
Ahmed was elected by the executive council of the ruling coalition after his predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, abruptly resigned. Since taking office, Ahmed has focused on improving human rights, reducing corruption and introducing economic and political reforms that can change the country's economy. Ethiopia to a more democratic society.
"Brain Drain".
For a country where some of its best doctors, academics and engineers leave for better opportunities in Europe and the United States, a return of diasporas could affect the persistence of Ethiopia's reforms.
NuNu Wako is a media spokesperson for the Prime Minister. She told VOA that Ahmed's trip is designed to "bridge the gap" between the Ethiopian government and the communities of the American diaspora, in a way unheard of for 27 years, since the present day. Ethiopian government. overthrew the communist regime that preceded it.
In Washington, Ahmed plans to meet representatives from academia, banking, medical and other circles with eminent Ethiopians. He hopes some will come home.
"It is really important that these powerful brains be sent back to Ethiopia and contribute to the sustainable development of Ethiopia," said Wako
Reform Leader
During his first 100 days in power, Ahmed introduced changes symbolic and substantive to reshape He closed prisons, released hundreds of political prisoners and admitted that the government had tortured its citizens.
He also unblocked opposition media that had been banned In June, Ahmed said that Ethiopia would honor the terms of an international decision and surrender the land to its neighbor Eritrea, leading to a historic peace agreement a few weeks later and at the end of nearly two decades of cold war between the two countries. Ahmed's efforts to open the Ethiopian political system have reached a "critical turning point" earlier this week, Wako said when he called for multi-party democracy.
Ethiopian politics is based on ethnic federalism. Its regions and the political parties that accompany it are largely defined according to ethnic criteria. Five parties form the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, and they have a virtual monopoly over political power.
But Ethiopia has more than 80 ethnic groups, and the current system has led to the consolidation of power.
Moving away from ethnic federalism could lead to more inclusive policies that benefit all of society, says Wako.
"I think this will be a tangible and concrete step for Ethiopia, peacefully, bringing everyone together and leading to Ethiopia we knew and for which our ancestors fought." [19659014] FILE – People gather for food distribution at Farbudo IDP camp, Gode, near Kebri Dahar, South-East Ethiopia, January 27, 2018. ” src=”https://gdb.voanews.com/E0C034BC-F931-42BF-B7DA-B930C469154D_w250_r0_s.jpg”/>
