The rebellion in Amhara region and the government s heavy response is testing the federal system to the limit, Initially, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won plaudits for recasting the system inherited from his predecessor Meles Zenawi who dominated Ethiopian politics from 1991 until his death in 2012. Yet he may be haunted by one of Meles aphorisms as cited by British historian Alex de Waal: Governing Ethiopia is like running in front of a volcano. For Abiy, the broad-based rebellion in Amhara region this year could prove to be just that eruption.
The rebellion in Amhara region and the government s heavy response is testing the federal system to the limit, Initially, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won plaudits for recasting the system inherited from his predecessor Meles Zenawi who dominated Ethiopian politics from 1991 until his death in 2012. Yet he may be haunted by one of Meles aphorisms as cited by British historian Alex de Waal: Governing Ethiopia is like running in front of a volcano. For Abiy, the broad-based rebellion in Amhara region this year could prove to be just that eruption.