Ethiopia: A Song Upends a Country

 Ethiopia Insight published on 16 May 2026 a commentary titled "Teddy Afro's Mourning Tent and Ethiopia's Fractured National Imagination" by Belete Addis Yemata, University of Melbourne.

Teddy Afro's new album Etorika and especially the opening song, Das Tal (loosely meaning "pitch the tent"), has drawn more than 140 million views on You Tube and ignited political arguments throughout the Ethiopian community.  Reactions to Das Tal exposed political loyalty, politico-religious alignment, competing ideas of Ethiopia, and different opinions about Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.  

Religion in Ethiopia

 The Rift Valley Institute and the Peace Research Facility published in 2023 a study titled "Religion in Contemporary Ethiopia: History, Politics and Inter-Religious Relations" by Jorg Haustein, Abduletif Kedir Idris, and Diego Maria Malara.  

Religion has made a political comeback in Ethiopia under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and is once again part of the political discourse.  Religious affiliation in Ethiopia is part of a multi-layered nexus incorporating ethnicity and other, secondary, social characteristics, such as occupation or class.

The study provides an overview of the politics of religion since the making of the modern Ethiopian nation state in the nineteenth century.  It surveys the four most important faith groups in Ethiopia--Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Protestantism/Pentecostalism, and traditional religions.  Finally, it explores inter-religious relations. 

Religion in Contemporary Ethiopia

 The Rift Valley Institute and the Peace Research Facility published on 29 May 2023 a study titled "Religion in Contemporary Ethiopia: History, Politics and Inter-Religious Relations" by Jorg Haustein, Abduletif Kedir Idris, and Diego Malara.  

Religion in Ethiopia has made a political comeback under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.  Religion is once again part of political discourse, whether it be in defining political constituencies, demarcating differences, or articulating visions of Ethiopian unity.  This 67-page review offers a comprehensive introduction to the current religious situation in Ethiopia.  

Christian Nationalism Is Tearing Ethiopia Apart

 Foreign Policy published on 18 June 2022 a commentary titled "Christian Nationalism Is Tearing Ethiopia Apart" by Andrew DeCort.

Evangelicalism is exploding in Ethiopia today.  The Evangelicals see Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as the 7th King or at least a useful tool for their ambitions.  The author concluded that in his two decades studying and working in Ethiopia he has "never seen such bitter hatred and raw hopelessness."  He fears that violence on the scale of Rwanda could erupt.  

What Drives Abiy Ahmed's View of Ethiopia's Future?

 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.  

BBC Discussion of Ethiopian Crisis

 The BBC radio broadcast on 20 November 2020 a 54-minute panel discussion program titled "Ethiopia Crisis: High Stakes for Africa."

The program opened with the remark that the Ethiopian crisis poses one of the greatest threats to peace and security over the last 30 years.  The wide ranging discussion focused on both internal Ethiopian issues and the impact of the crisis on the wider region.  

Election Challenges Facing Ethiopia

Ethiopia Insight published on 27 February 2019 an analysis titled "Ethiopia Elite Lost in Electoral Maze under Abiy's Gaze" by Rene Lefort, specialist in African affairs, and Kjetil Tronvoll, Bjorknes University College Oslo.

The authors note there is widespread concern that Ethiopia will not be ready for democratic elections in May 2020. There is a slide towards personalization and deinstitutionalization of power in the country. There is no quick fix to the predicament that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the EPRDF, and Ethiopia are in.