Ethiopia Insight posted on 24 December 2020 a commentary titled "Mind Over Matter: Abiy Ahmed's Aim to 'Pentecostalize Ethiopian Politics'" by Rene Lefort.
The most common interpretation of Ethiopia's crisis suggests it is rooted in a struggle over centering power at the center in Addis Ababa or distributing it among a looser confederation of national ethnic states.
The author argues that Abiy Ahmed's concept of medemer is based on the view that Ethiopia will transcend its divisions, mainly ethnic in nature, by gradually coming together around a common set of moral or ethical values such as love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. In this view, Ethiopia first and foremost needs a spiritual revolution.
While many both inside and outside Ethiopia call for an inclusive national dialogue to avoid a Yugoslavia-like ending or even ethnic genocide, Abiy has refused this idea either because he sincerely believes he is a messiah, the only one who can "Pentecostalize Ethiopian politics" or simply out of a desire for power.
