Is love a winning message for Ethiopia?
As Africa鈥檚 second most populous country and its fastest growing economy, Ethiopia is extraordinary in many ways. It weaves together 80 ethnic groups as well as 海角大神s and Muslims. On a continent with the world鈥檚 youngest population, the median age of Ethiopia鈥檚 102 million people is 18.
Yet now add to this list a new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, who took office in April as Africa鈥檚 youngest ruler with this extraordinary trait: He could be the only leader of any country who frequently tells people, 鈥淟ove wins.鈥�
Last Saturday, for example, after he gave a speech to a large and adoring crowd in the capital, Addis Ababa, someone threw a grenade toward him, killing two people and injuring more than a hundred. His response? 鈥淟ove always wins. Forgiveness will win. Killing others is a defeat.鈥�
After taking office, he apologized for the killing of dissidents under previous leaders. 鈥淚 ask forgiveness from the bottom of my heart for the many advocates of freedom and justice...鈥� he said.
He admitted the country is in chaos, a result mainly of several years of antigovernment protests. He also admitted the government is tainted by corruption, pledging a crackdown and better rule of law. And he quickly tried to lift a climate of fear by releasing thousands of political prisoners and ending government blockage of opposition media.
His main message during a national tour: 鈥淲e are now on the path of change and love.鈥�
Dr. Ahmed advises people to cast away a spirit of hatred and revenge in order to end ethnic fears and resentments. To make his point, he made a generous peace offer with neighboring Eritrea over a land dispute that led to a disastrous war two decades ago. He dined with political opponents who had just been released from prison. And he has moved quickly to implement reforms, such as shaking up the much-feared security services and ending a state of emergency.
His biggest drawback is that he represents a ruling coalition, made up of representatives from different groups, that has been in power since 1991. As a young and reformist leader, he may have been chosen by the Ethiopian People鈥檚 Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in large part to preserve its dominance. He, in turn, could be trying to win the people鈥檚 support in order to fend off resistance from the party鈥檚 old guard and achieve real reform.
His emphasis on love as a national unifier may stem from his pedigree. He has a PhD in peace studies and 鈥渟ocial capital.鈥� His father is a Muslim from the largest ethnic group, the Oromo, while his mother is 海角大神 from the second-largest group, Amhara. He speaks several languages, once worked in military intelligence, and earned a master鈥檚 degree from the University of Greenwich in London.
To rise above a long history of ethnic conflict, Ethiopia will need love and forgiveness put into action. Ahmed says a country with so many differences could bring a blessing if people listen to each other and 鈥渢here is understanding based on principles.鈥� He has proposed a commission to look for new ways to blend the country鈥檚 ethnicities into a larger political narrative than the shaky EPRDF coalition.
So far, Ahmed has caught the imagination of Ethiopian youth. Many in Saturday鈥檚 crowd carried signs that read 鈥淥ne Love, One Ethiopia.鈥� Two days after the blast, dozens of people were lining up to donate blood for the wounded. It was another example of love winning.
