Opinion: Was PM Abiy’s Nobel Peace Prize the Right Decision?
The word ‘revolution’ is seldom used in the context of peace and reconciliation. According to the foremost authority of the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary, revolution is “an attempt, by a large number of people, to change the government of a country, especially by violent action”. Yet just last week, ‘revolution’ was the 100th recipient of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, was bestowed the honour in recognition of “his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea”. Like many of his peers born after the start of the Ethiopian Civil War in 1974, Abiy’s full name is Abiyot, deriving from that very word that engenders violence and discord, revolution.
A brief glimpse at the troubled history of Ethiopian politics offers a small insight into the challenges that faced the incumbent, and those that still remain. Ethiopia has long endured kleptocracy and despotism under various guises; be it the enigmatic yet ruthless Emperor Haile Selassie, a messianic figure revered by many around the world as God incarnate. Or the genocidal pseudo-Marxist Mengistu Haile Mariam, thought to have personally smothered the former Emperor with his own pillow.
Many have come, all promising to release the people from the repressive shackles of their bygone autocrat. Yet one by one they all succumbed to that ever-intoxicating vice, power. The path for Abiy was cleared by his predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, who in 2016 set an historical precedent by becoming the first Prime Minister to resign from office, and in-turn, became the first not to die or be forcibly removed from office. Hailemariam did so, he stated, in order to clear the way for democratisation and reform. He was however, replaced in April 2018 by ‘revolution’.
Within his first 100 days of office, Abiy set about undoing the repressive machinations that were ensnaring Ethiopia from developmental progress. He lifted the state of emergency, freed all political prisoners, ended media censorship, welcomed home exiled dissidents, and legalised opposition groups. He expelled those officials, both military and civilian, accused of that seditious act of corruption, and promoted the rights of women, most symbolically, perhaps, by electing the country’s first female president.
Yet Abiy has not suffered the myopic tendencies that too often plague African ‘big men’. He brought an end to the futile border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, a periodical war that killed over 80,000 people, prolonged only by the intransigence of those that came before him. Abroad he has mediated keys agreements between the Sudanese government and its opposition, as well as a maritime territory dispute between Kenya and Somalia.
But has this all come too soon for a man that has been in power just 18 short months? The Nobel committee will no doubt be wary of their previous mistakes. Aung San Suu Kyi won the accolade in 1991 for her abiding pursuit of democratic reform in the face of Burma’s military junta. However, in 2018 there were calls for her to be stripped of the honour, owing to her stubborn denial of the rape and murder of Rohingya Muslims in Burma.
Opinion was divided again in 2009, when the committee recognised US President Barack Obama for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people”. Detractors claimed the award was premature, whilst others said it was designed to encourage progress. Archbishop Desmond Tutu remarked that it “anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all”. Whether he did this is, again, up for debate.
The Nobel Committee certainly hope their most recent laureate will be encouraged “to tackle the outstanding human rights challenges that threaten to reverse the gains made so far”. More people have been internally displaced in Ethiopia than anywhere else in the world. But Abiy will be the first to admit this is no panacea. As journalist Ian Birrell commented, “[t]he path to democracy in Ethiopia is pitted with problems”. Ethnic tensions threaten to boil over, and the continent’s impending population boom will no doubt effect Africa’s second most populous nation.
But we should not allow any sense of cynicism or gloom negate the fantastic opportunity created by this man. Ethiopia is one of the most exciting countries in Africa, with an economy experiencing exponential growth. The award has brought Abiy to the attention of the West, whose disinterest in Africa stems from the poverty-stricken victimhood it has bestowed it. There is great hope that Ethiopia shines as a beacon of prosperity and development. Perhaps this will recast Africa as a place of investment opportunity, without the swaddling of misplaced aid. It needs serious foreign direct investment, allowing it to stand on its own two feet. This would be the ultimate prize.
Abiy Ahmed’s Nobel Peace Prize represents not just hope for the future of Ethiopia, but hope for the future of Africa. Time will be the ultimate judge of the committee’s decision.