August 2, 2026
A Political and Critical Deconstruction of the AMICO National Television Broadcast
Girma Kebede
London, United Kingdom
A Tyrant’s Trap: Why The Amhara People Reject Ethno-Fascist Abiy Ahmed’s Broadcasted Supplication
Executive Summary & Historical Context
The recent broadcasted interview featuring Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the state-affiliated Amhara Media Corporation (AMICO)—titled “Do Not Be Swayed by Temporary Problems”— marks a calculated public relations effort by an administration in crisis.
To evaluate this interview, one must look past its polished production and analyze the trajectory of the past eight years. When Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018, his initial promises of reform and national synergy (Medemer) quickly degenerated into a focused ethno-hegemonic campaign. Across Oromia, Benishangul-Gumuz, and the Amhara region itself, Amharas have faced systematic massacres, targeted political purges, mass displacement from metropolitan hubs like Addis Ababa, and brutal military operations—including drone strikes and indiscriminate shelling of historic towns and civilian infrastructure.
Facing an existential crisis driven by economic collapse, severe inflation, internal regime decay, and heavy battlefield resistance from the popular Fano self-defense movement, Abiy Ahmed has turned back to state television. The broadcast is a desperate attempt to manipulate the very people his administration targeted for years.
The Three Tactics Of Deception In The Broadcast
1. Trivializing Atrocities Framing widespread state violence and military campaigns as minor “temporary problems” that citizens must endure without complaint.
2. Discrediting Dissent Reducing organic, widespread resistance to YouTube monetization schemes, foreign asylum seeking, and political egoism.
3. Forced Reconciliation Demanding citizens “swim together” with their oppressors while keeping the coercive state apparatus fully operational and armed.
Critical Deconstruction of the Interview Content
1. Minimizing Systemic State Atrocities as “Temporary Problems”
Throughout the interview, Abiy Ahmed relies on the thesis that citizens should “not be swayed or fall back by temporary problems” (ለጊዜያዊ ችግሮች ሽብረክ ማለት አይገባም).
• The Reality: The slaughter of innocent civilians, mass internment of Amhara youth and intellectuals, drone strikes on civilian marketplaces, and deliberate displacement of millions are not “temporary hurdles” or minor administrative bumps along a road to development.
• The Tactic: By labeling atrocities as minor, temporary inconveniences, the ethno-fascist regime attempts to erase state responsibility, gaslight the victims, and demand unearned resilience from a targeted population.
2. Delegitimizing Organic Resistance as “Diaspora Hustles”
A central theme of the Prime Minister’s remarks is the attempt to reduce widespread political resistance to financial greed or political miscalculation. He categorizes critics into three groups:
2.1. Individuals who made “incorrect calculations” and flipped sides when their personal ambitions were not met.
2.2 Figures driven by “cheap motives,” accusing opponents of criticizing the government purely to earn YouTube revenue or secure political asylum abroad.
3. A small minority with “genuine questions” who simply haven’t received adequate answers due to communication gaps.
• The Reality: This framework completely ignores the organic, local origin of the Fano movement. Amharas did not take up arms or speak out because of YouTube monetization; they did so because the state failed to guarantee their basic right to life and security.
• The Tactic: By painting dissenters as opportunists, asylum-seekers, or clout-chasers, the regime attempts to strip moral authority from popular resistance while evading the reality that its own discriminatory policies created the conflict.
3. Weaponizing Shared History to Force Compliance
In a strategic shift, Abiy Ahmed devoted significant portions of the interview to emphasizing the historical alliance between the Amhara and Oromo peoples—referencing shared dynasties (such as Gondar and Were Himenu), the Battle of Adwa, and joint anti-feudal struggles.
• The Reality: Invoking historical icons like Emperor Menelik II and Ras Gobena while actively deploying armed forces and drone strikes against Amhara civilians is a stark contradiction. • The Tactic: Nostalgic historical rhetoric is deployed to weaponize Amhara patriotism, coercing the population into preserving a state structure that actively oppresses them.
4. The Fallacy of “Swimming Together” Without Accountability
The Prime Minister urges citizens to join hands with the state, asserting that “to cross a river, one must swim together rather than complain about the water.”
• The Reality: Expecting a victimized population to “swim together” with the exact regime that deployed federal forces, drone strikes, and mass arrests against them is an absurdity. • The Tactic: “Unity” without justice or accountability is not peace; it is total submission. It
asks the victim to act as a human shield for a falling tyrant so that the regime can regain its footing and finish what it started.
Non-Negotiable Declaration of Principles
The Amhara people will not serve as a shield for a regime in crisis. Any discourse regarding the future must stand on these absolute conditions:
1. No Forgiveness Without Justice : Full confession of state atrocities, independent legal accountability, and the immediate release of political captives and journalists.
2. No Salvation For The Oppressor : Amhara lives and sacrifices will not be spent to preserve a hostile ethno-fascist political system or rescue a regime from collapse.
3. Uncompromising Right To Exist : Fano self-defense forces remain legitimate until full security, equal rights, and justice are guaranteed across all regions.
Editor’s Note: Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
__
Join our Telegram Channel: t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
To submit a press release, send the submission to info@borkena.com