Abiy Ahmed has big dreams for Ethiopia. Reality is far harsher
Feb 29th 2024|addis ababa, adama and wukroShare
To catch a glimpse of Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s prime minister, visitors could book a table at a swanky new restaurant in Addis Ababa, the capital. Marcus Addis, the eponymous joint by Marcus Samuelsson—an Ethiopia-born, Sweden-raised, America-based celebrity chef—has proved a favourite. From the 47th floor of east Africa’s tallest building diners gaze out at the shiny infrastructure being built across the city under Abiy’s rule. The eatery symbolises the country he would like Ethiopia to be: modern, glitzy and rich.
The reality at ground level is less glamorous. Two years of war in Tigray killed hundreds of thousands and destroyed the region’s economy. Those close to Abiy argue that he can finish what he started when he took office in 2018, vowing to reform a dirigiste economy. An imf loan to support this could be signed by the end of March. But financial instability and violence in other regions are causing huge problems for one of Africa’s most influential—if controversial—politicians. A country often seen as a model for the rest of the continent may instead be a warning.