Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed become the first Ethiopian to win the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve peace with neighboring Eritrea.
He was awarded the prize Friday for his; “efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation and for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea.” PM Abiy worked with Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki on the peace agreement, to end the two-decade long conflict.
“An important premise for the breakthrough was Abiy Ahmed’s unconditional willingness to accept the arbitration ruling of an international boundary commission in 2002,” the Nobel Institute said in statement.
During PM Abiy’s first 100 days as Prime Minister he has also “granted amnesty to thousands of political prisoners, discontinuing media censorship, legalizing outlawed opposition groups, dismissing military and civilian leaders who were suspected of corruption, and significantly increased the influence of women in Ethiopian political and community life.”
A statement from the office of Prime Minister Ahmed said since coming to power in 2018 he had made “peace, forgiveness and reconciliation key components of his administration.”
“This victory and recognition is a collective win for all Ethiopians, and a call to strengthen our resolve in making Ethiopia – the New Horizon of Hope – a prosperous nation for all,” the statement added.
“I am so humbled and thrilled … Thank you very much. It is a prize given to Africa, given to Ethiopia, and I can imagine how the rest of Africa’s leaders will take it positively to work on the peace building process in our continent,” PM Abiy said. “I am so happy and I am so thrilled for the news … Thank you very much, it is a big recognition,” the PM said while talking to Olav Njølstad, Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee shortly after the announcement of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
Responding to the announcement that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said “this award recognizes the critical work Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has done to initiate human rights reforms in Ethiopia after decades of widespread repression. Since assuming office in April 2018, it has reformed the security forces, replaced the severely restricting charities and society law, and agreed to a peace deal with neighboring Eritrea to end two decades of hostile relations. He also helped broker an agreement between Sudan’s military leaders and the civilian opposition, bringing an end to months of protests.”
“However, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s work is far from done. This award should push and motivate him to tackle the outstanding human rights challenges that threaten to reverse the gains made so far. He must urgently ensure that his government addresses the ongoing ethnic tensions that threaten instability and further human rights abuses. He should also ensure that his government revises the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation which continues to be used as a tool of repression, and holds suspected perpetrators of past human rights violations to account.”
“Now more than ever Prime Minister Abiy must fully espouse the principles and values of the Nobel Peace Prize to leave a lasting human rights legacy for his country, the wider region, and the world,” Naidoo said.
The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa also congratulated PM Abiy on being the 100th recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his “…efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation and his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea.” The embassy said in a statement that they joined all Ethiopians as they celebrate this proud moment for Prime Minister Abiy and the people of Ethiopia.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg had been the favorite to win. Abiy Ahmed, elected leader in 2018, was the bookmakers’ second favorite to win. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was also a contender, lauded for her response to the Christchurch shooting earlier this year.
This year’s peace prize was the 100th to be awarded. According to the Nobel Institute there were 301 nominees in the running for this year’s peace prize, the fourth highest on record. The record was 376 candidates in 2016. However, the list of nominees is only revealed 50 years after the prize is awarded.
Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and human rights activist Nadia Murad were joint winners in 2018 for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Peaceful Pride
POLARIZATION INTENSIFIED
It seems polarization is increasing within each nation state of the world system. In the world of the rich, this has become quite pronounced, as can be witnessed in the countries of Western Europe. In those core countries where economic wellbeing is gradually receding, conditions for harmonious collective existence are deteriorating. In the early years of this 21st century, Empire’s position in the world system is also weaning. Brexit and the future of the UK might well become one of the most important happenstances in this generalized decline of the west. The United Kingdom, alias the ‘British Empire’ (of the 19th century) seems to be on its way to becoming the ‘Disunited Kingdom’ of inconsequential significance. Polarization within the current hegemon/USA is also in the ascendance. The behavior of its ruling elites has also taken a twist towards the comical and is becoming quite the entertainment! See the articles on page 46.
The components of the current global polarization in play include, not only the familiar culprits of economics and politics, but also the increasingly dangerous one of culture! Obsessive cultural essence, the rhetoric goes, is delineated by the words ‘us’ and ‘them’! Obviously, the ‘them’ connotes otherness. The word preferred by the Americans is ‘aliens’! Be that as it may, these two words are not used interchangeably, by no means. The world of alienation is not completely detached from the world of ‘aliens’. The dangerous outcomes arising from the notions of ‘us’ and ‘them’ are obvious. Late modernity is playing with this social fire and consequences can be unforgiving!
From the vantage point of learned analysis, one can describe the “Yellow Vests’ movement of France as trying to challenge comprehensive polarization. The movement wants to redress more than mere economic grievances. The unspoken hidden truth is; the French activists are demanding good governance via ‘direct democracy’! Electoral democracy, they reckon, has outlasted its stay. Elected officials, almost invariably, renegade on their campaign promises once they are in office. They are quick to engage in activities that have been neither mandated nor warranted by the populous. These officials, in collaboration with the unelected bureaucracy, can decide to wage wars or implement economic policies detrimental to the welfare of the people. This, the ‘Yellow Vests’ reckon, is an abrogation of the critical element of democracy! Brexit, to some extent, is the manifestation of such sentiment by the forgotten deplorable, to use a word coined by the privileged politicos. By and large, ‘Trumpism’ is also a repudiation of old politics as played by traditional politicos!
In the world of the poor, polarization between the haves and the have-nots continues to create disturbances in modern existence. Failing to satisfy the basic necessities of organized life, the politicos of the poor seem to have resorted to the externalization of their shortcomings on to others and otherness. This tendency is already giving rise to the more dangerous element of cultural polarization! In the global south, particularly on the continent of South America, where situations tend to be more topsy-turvy than anywhere else, including Africa, conditions seem to have dangerously deteriorated. Ecuador, after going through turbo neoliberalism in a very short period of time is now in chaos. Rioters, demanding the ouster of the government, are now in charge of the uprising. Brazil’s hard right government, pathetically posed to fulfill the interests of dominant transnational capital is throwing people in jail so that they cannot run for elections. The former president Lula is one such victim. See the article next column. In South America economic, political and cultural polarization has increased since the progressives ‘socialists were overthrown by the machination of entrenched interests. Venezuela is suffering the massive sanctions imposed on it by empire. By empire we usually mean the triad; the USA, EU and Japan. Nonetheless, Venezuela is trying to hold its own, despite the various blatant aggressions and subtle offensives targeting it! Like Cuba, and unlike the likes of Brazil, Argentina, etc., the notion of sovereignty, independence and self worth seems to have taken a more deeper root.
“The problem isn’t so much that we are driven into a state of fear. When you’re being driven to extinction by sociopathic oligarchs, it is natural to have some survival bells ringing. The problem is that we’re manipulated into directing our fear at everyone except those responsible.” Caitlin Johnstone. Good Day!
Vodacom comes calling
One of the world’s largest telecom firms, Vodacom Group, which is owned by the multinational Vodafone (65%), is interested in joining the Ethiopian Market. Their regional CEO visited for two days with a team of experts to meet with government officials and assess the nation’s telecom market.
After Ethiopia announced it was opening up telecom to foreign investors French telecom operator Orange, Airtel Africa and Johannesburg based MTN all expressed interest in Ethiopia’s telecom sector, however Vodacom would be a fierce competitor.
“We think we have the technology, ability and experience to succeed. We are waiting to see what the conditions are by looking at rules and regulations to determine if we want to participate in the business,” Vivek Badrinath Vodafone Group’s regional CEO for Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific said.
Earlier this week President Sahle-work Zewde, speaking at parliament, gave much-awaited details of moves to liberalize the telecom industry, saying two private firms would be given licenses to operate in the sector before the end of July 2020.
The company provides a wide range of services in the global telecom sector, including voice, messaging and data across mobile and fixed networks. They spent their time here meeting with government officials and businesspeople in order to understand the expectations of stakeholders.
“We met with several departments to learn about opportunities in telecommunication. It is more of study mission, which includes trying to understand the needs of Ethiopia and how we can make a difference as our company wants to transform as many lives as possible in an inclusive way across society,” the CEO added.
Vivek called the Ethiopian market massive and noted that telecom has not penetrated as much of the population as other African countries.
“Our purpose is to impact and make a difference by reaching the population at large. We don’t think our telecom products are luxurious, rather we think of them as very useful transformative products,” said the CEO.
They are working with possible partners to assess the feasibility of introducing a new operator into the telecom sector. “When the new operator comes to the telecom sector, it has various benefits in terms of price, quality and coverage,” Vivek remarked.
“We are not absent or late in understanding the Ethiopian market as the government has not yet published the details. We want to conduct the studies to participate as soon as the bid is published,” the CEO said.
Vodacom is excited about Ethiopia because it has a young population with an appetite for knowledge, a strong culture and great assets for industry, he said.
President stresses reform in speech to lawmakers
President Sahlework Zewde in her address to the joint session of the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) and the House of Federation (HoF), highlighted the nation’s journey toward reform. Even though, she noted, changes have been holistic and vast, they want to make even deeper reforms by following the philosophy of ‘Medemer’.
In her speech she went over reforms in the political, social and economic spheres and tangible ways the government want to benefit the people.
This year the government is working on three pillars, maintaining Ethiopian unity, ensuring the dignity of the Ethiopian people and helping Ethiopians to be more prosperous.
“There have been improvements in equitable redistribution of resources, democracy, the justice system, economic activity, and politics since Prime Minister Abiy took power. Shortcomings in these areas have not yet been fully addressed,” she said. Because some problems are systemic and institutional they will take more time, she added. 
Speaking about the current budget year, the president believes the importance of strengthening foundational work in peace and security, the democratization process, and modernizing the justice system.
Empowering the security institutions is another core area that the government plans to work on in order to prevent the potential conflicts from their sources by engaging the defense force, federal police and regional police forces in capacity building training and deepening the reform to reduce the number of internally displaced people.
“A strong, competent and professional security force is needed to ensure peace throughout Ethiopia,” she said.
According to the president, this will enable the country to conduct the upcoming election successfully and to maintain the rule of law. She called on the people, media, civic society institutions including political parties and elites to work responsibly.
The president also spoke about the justice system where a three year program will be launched starting this year to strengthen the justice system. Capacity training for judges and other stakeholders to work independently to serve the people in a transparent manner will be the core values.
For this year, the new penal code, trade laws and administrative law are expected to be enacted, in some cases for the first time in 50 years. Moreover the president revels the government plans to pass verdicts on 250,000 cases. They plan to engage in advocacy with the community and students to deliver justice in a short period of time. 
The recently announced a home grown economy is another core area. This is expected to rectify the macroeconomic imbalance by creating a conducive investment climate and boosting economic growth by increasing private sector involvement which will lead to more jobs.
Mobilizing resources from both local and international sources to alleviate the shortage of hard currency beside efforts to ease the countries burden of external debt is another action the government will take.
This year, two telecom companies will join the Ethiopian telecom market at 49 percent which will allow the state owned Ethio telecom to remain the major operator.
She also discussed modernizing the agricultural sector by deploying various incentives in addition to irrigation. This is expected to create over 12,000 jobs.
The irrigation scheme is also focused on the small scale to create more jobs and ensure productivity. Zaremay, arjo- dedesa, and megech dam which are under construction and a total of other 34 projects nationwide will be constructed as the nation is working to substitute wheat imports in the coming three years.
The president stressed that the government will continue to work on power generation to benefit 60 percent of the population who are living without electricity.
In this regard, the government has a keen interest to provide access to energy for one million customers in more than 405 rural areas in addition to the 10 power projects in the pipeline through the PPP scheme, besides improving tech based solutions.
The President also talked about education, ICT, diplomacy and tourism and stressed that we need unity to continue reforms. 
