I have FT so I read this, pretty basic overview. Doesn’t go too much in depth on things but it does highlight the current geopolitical scramble to get a foothold in the region.
The Horn of Africa Current Events Thread
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I have FT so I read this, pretty basic overview. Doesn’t go too much in depth on things but it does highlight the current geopolitical scramble to get a foothold in the region.
thatrapsfan
Superstar
Two arrested over killing of popular political singer in Ethiopia
@2Quik4UHoes @JDH
I called it - I actually believe these are the real suspects. They've got an incentive to Abiy's Government to collapse. The spin on the singer's political views, to make him appear anti Abiy already smelled funny. But any way doubt this will end the anger.
In a televised statement on Friday, the attorney general, Adanech Abebe, said the shooter was acting on the orders of an anti-government group, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF-Shene).
The two men who were arrested included the suspected shooter and an accomplice. A third suspect was still at large, Adenech said.
“We have arrested those who killed him, and those who collaborated in the killing,” she added. “We will continue to ensure the rule of law
@2Quik4UHoes @JDH
I called it - I actually believe these are the real suspects. They've got an incentive to Abiy's Government to collapse. The spin on the singer's political views, to make him appear anti Abiy already smelled funny. But any way doubt this will end the anger.
In a televised statement on Friday, the attorney general, Adanech Abebe, said the shooter was acting on the orders of an anti-government group, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF-Shene).
The two men who were arrested included the suspected shooter and an accomplice. A third suspect was still at large, Adenech said.
“We have arrested those who killed him, and those who collaborated in the killing,” she added. “We will continue to ensure the rule of law
VladTheImpaler
The Sensational Prince
So for the Ethio Massive.... is the initial love affair with Abiy over 
(said whilst enjoying a yummy bowl of Yekik)
(said whilst enjoying a yummy bowl of Yekik)
Yeah I doubt this calms things down but even with this I still have my suspicions with Egypt giving the timing of events. Wouldn’t surprise me if someone on their side gave a little nudge.
You definitely called it tho. And it makes sense too. The Tigray elites could’ve been the ones to nudge them along as they also have an adversarial relationship with Abiy.
So for the Ethio Massive.... is the initial love affair with Abiy over
Its not what it was. He still has supporters but the Oromo protests was what got him into power and he’s gone with a more Pan Ethiopian platform whereas they’re moreso Oromo Nationalists.
Tbh, Ethiopians don’t know themselves or each other. That’s the root to this whole problem. That and the ethnonationalist politics that have dominated the country since the early 90s.
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Started filling the dam today, fukk outta here Sisi 
Where did you see this?Started filling the dam today, fukk outta here Sisi
loyola llothta
☭☭☭
Satellite Images Show Ethiopia Started Filling the GERD
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia indirectly confirmed when he said “the dam is built to be filled.” Heavy rain anticipated in the next two weeks
A satellite image shows that Ethiopia has started filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Voice of America Amharic service contacted spokesperson of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Ethiopian Ambassador to Egypt, Dina Mufti.
Link:
Pan-African News Wire
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia indirectly confirmed when he said “the dam is built to be filled.” Heavy rain anticipated in the next two weeks
A satellite image shows that Ethiopia has started filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Voice of America Amharic service contacted spokesperson of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Ethiopian Ambassador to Egypt, Dina Mufti.
Link:
Pan-African News Wire
loyola llothta
☭☭☭
Al Jazeera, I love how slanted their coverage has been for the most part. They got that same sky is falling theatrics that Egypt does. Sand cacs stick together on everything except the Palestinian cause....
Jesus
thatrapsfan
Superstar
Al Jazeera, I love how slanted their coverage has been for the most part. They got that same sky is falling theatrics that Egypt does. Sand cacs stick together on everything except the Palestinian cause....
Really? I dont see this, AJ coverage is not favourable to Egypt at all. On the Arabic AJA, they go harder on Egypt than any media outlet in the world. They have Ethiopian Government reps and analysts on there very often. Context being the Morsi coup and AJA being strongly opposed to it ever since. There's a reason Egypt banned AJ from the country years ago. The most biased, pro Egypt coverage I see is from the UAE/KSA outlets like Sky Arabia, Al Arabiya etc.
The political divide in Arab world + Turkey over the MB takes far greater precendence than any sort of Pan-Arab unity that doesnt exist and hasnt existed for decades.
thatrapsfan
Superstar
This looks like a war zone.
At best, Sami on Inside Story pushed back on some of the prevailing stories coming out painting the government as the sole issue in the conflict. Hardly any attention paid to the actual terrorist genocidal activities of Jawar’s goons. So to me, if it isn’t bias then it’s an abject failure at presenting the facts.
And it surprises me because as you said, Qatar couldn’t be more at odds with Egypt. They locked up their journalists and one still remains in there today, I believe Egypt is also involved in the blockade of Qatar as well but I could be wrong. Their coverage has been woefully insufficient. But then again, I’ve always felt like Africa needs it’s own major news network because you can’t really trust any outsiders with telling the full story.
It’s like even in the midst of all the schisms there might still be certain attitudes that they share.
thatrapsfan
Superstar
I think AJE/AJ Plus are definitely empathetic or even biased to Oromo politics but I don’t think that has anything to do with Egypt. More just a tendency of pushing opposition/counter narratives in a ton of places and I think it also has to do with success of Oromo nationalists lobbying and pushing their narrative on social media. Like you said though, this is the case on most foreign coverage in Ethiopia.
I think the Oromo issue is complex. They have legit grievances out of recent Ethiopian politics and history IMO, but zero sum ethnic politics is a very dangerous game regardless of whether your grievances were legitimate. Hence where things are at now.
It seems to me the best shot Ethiopia has is if Abiys new party soldiers though and manages to get some support from Oromos in general.
Jawar is definitely a chief propagator of ethnic politics but the question is why is he popular to begin with? I don’t think it has anything to do with religious dimension that some people are beginning to suggest. Just look at Harar where tensions between Oromo Muslims and Harari Muslims have been extremely high for past few years. Or clashes between Oromos and Muslim Gurages and Somalis before that.
I can see that being the case. AJE definitely takes the side of the protesting group in most of its stories. I’m thinking that now that internet has returned they’ll begin to more accurately report things on the ground. I think the success of Oromo nationalists is because not many Ethiopians really thought it would get this big and they was no counter narrative. In fact, Oromos have been in full command of the narrative and still raising funds through Facebook. It’s only now that other Ethiopians are beginning to push back.
I agree, Oromos have legit grievances. As far as I’m concerned, the definition of Ethiopian has to expand from just some highlander phenomenon. We gotta be real and remember that the name Ethiopia goes far beyond Axum or Abyssinia and as such it includes the Oromos. With that said, I can’t tell you what other issues they have. They got their own flag, are mostly autonomous, administer and teach in their language and are allowed to practice their customs. I was told by a family member that they’d read in an Amharic book one time that the schism came about because Meles double crossed the OLF when the TPLF came to power. Oromos were supposed to have their own Eritrea made from crude maps in the bush and upon taking power Meles decided against it. I’m not sure how true that is but paranoia of Amhara domination when the Imperial era ended in 1974 and the victim complex shyt with regards to Abiy’s Pan Ethiopian platform has been fascinating as well as disturbing in its rinky dink, uninformed rhetoric. I personally think it has more to do with Abiy attempting to do away with the ethnic based system with a Pan Ethiopian platform and the extremist elements within the Oromo are not pleased after they had been instrumental in bringing him into power. So as a result, they want Jawar or someone else like him to run against Abiy and bank on Oromo support in the elections. It’s a strange paradox in Ethiopian politics, many people weren’t fans of Meles or the ethnic based system he implemented and yet they grip on that system desperately because it’s nature of divide and conquer is preferable for these would be fascist diasporans in America, Canada, and Europe with dreams of power. It’s like we are against how things have been done but we don’t change our ways.
The good thing is that there are many Oromos who don’t fall under the extremist umbrella and some of them have been killed over it. This has caused a rift within the Oromo themselves. That of course can help out Abiy, but he’s in some shyt right now because both the Oromo nationalists and the TPLF have ambitions to take power. As you said tho, his best bet is to be pragmatic and prudent with his approach. The GERD is an important step for him and getting that done will perhaps slow down some of the simmering tensions.
Jawar’s platform has been popular for awhile. His media operation was in Minneapolis, the heart of Oromo country in America. He came up as a young man under other Oromo nationalists that fought in conflicts. I think that gave him an audience that would listen as well as spread the message to people back home. As I’ve said in other threads, many Ethiopians shamefully have inadequate knowledge of themselves and their fellow citizens. So online media personalities on both sides are using bombastic rhetoric which has stoked the flames of zero sum ethnic politics with Rwanda style machete work on the side.
But this is much more ethnic based than religious based. But the religious angle is dangerous because Christian Ethiopians are still scarred from Ahmed Gragn and will be more likely to react if it gets increasingly religious based. But overall, Oromos are lowkey messing up their own argument with this idiocy. They act as if they were captured, brought, and forced to be Ethiopian when it was their hoards from north Kenya and southern Ethiopia/Somalia that traveled north and East during the Abyssinian-Adal wars and brutalized Cushytic speaking Muslims like the Somali Dir tribe which founded Dire Dawa and Semitic speaking Abyssinian Christians. They were opportunistic in their capture of land and now they act as if they were fully indigenous to it and had every bit of their experience imposed on them. They migrated, invaded, in some cases wiped out or forcefully assimilated smaller more vulnerable groups. So they can’t argue against a Pan Ethiopian identity that is more inclusive and can continue to adjust to accommodate any group that might feel marginalized seeing as how Oromo nationalism and extremism is the very platform of cultural hegemony they accuse the government of.
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