Updated on February 16, 2025 at 2:13 P.M. Toronto Time
It was updated with request from the author to change image.
Aba Habtu
In a world beset by humanitarian crises, the dynamics of political leadership and moral accountability demand critical examination. Just yesterday, Ethiopian dictator Abiy Ahmed attracted considerable attention by announcing a $15 million donation to Sudan for relief efforts. Although this act appears altruistic, it is deeply entrenched in hypocrisy and indifference. This financial contribution stands in stark contrast to the severe suffering and neglect experienced by millions in Ethiopia, who face dire challenges related to conflict, famine, and political mismanagement. Viewed in this light, such a donation can be called for what is, a “blood money,” snatched from the dying Ethiopian populace to divert focus from the urgent humanitarian crises confronting his own populace.
Merely 100 kilometers from the capital Addis Ababa, in the city of Debre Birhan, survivors of the Amhara genocide continue to contend with the harrowing aftermath of violence and displacement. Their conditions are dire; these individuals urgently require shelter, food, sanitation, and medical care. Yet, while they endure abject poverty and deprivation, their leader has chosen to allocate substantial financial resources to a foreign nation, seemingly prioritizing international optics over their immediate needs because of their Amhara ethnicity.
Moreover, the Amhara region paints a grim picture of famine and human suffering. Reports from the Bugna Woreda in the Wag Hemera zone reveal that individuals are perishing from starvation as the Abiy regime employs starvation as a weapon of war. Furthermore, the Ethiopian government, under Abiy Ahmed, has systematically obstructed emergency food assistance, worsening the humanitarian crisis. It is tragically ironic that, while Ethiopians face acute hunger and malnutrition, their leader opts to invest in foreign relief initiatives rather than address the critical needs of his own citizens. This blatant disregard for human life and dignity raises significant ethical concerns regarding the legitimacy of Abiy Ahmed’s governance and his commitment to the welfare of the Ethiopian populace.
Additionally, the recent earthquake in the Afar and Oromia regions has left tens of thousands of Ethiopians homeless and vulnerable, complicating an already precarious situation. The lack of support for these displaced individuals highlights systemic failures in governance and humanitarian response. This indifference toward the suffering of the Ethiopian people contrasts sharply with the political theatrics surrounding the donation to Sudan, revealing what can only be characterized as a cruel exploitation of humanitarianism for self-aggrandizement.
The announcement by the United States government to halt global aid only exacerbates these dire circumstances, triggering a domino effect that further endangers millions reliant on food assistance. In this bleak scenario, Abiy Ahmed’s actions can be interpreted as not only misguided but profoundly insidious. What message does it convey when a leader, faced with the stark realities of famine and suffering in his nation, chooses to invest significant resources elsewhere? To the external observer, this donation may seem commendable, but to those aware of the internal turmoil, it serves as a stark reminder of the disconnect between a government and its citizens.
The plight of civil servants and urban residents, many of whom have been forcibly displaced due to Abiy Ahmed’s so-called development projects, further underscores the extent of this crisis. His policies have resulted not only in physical dislocation but also in moral decay within society, as individuals combat the oppression and negligence perpetuated by their own government.
In conclusion, Abiy Ahmed’s $15 million donation to Sudan, set against the backdrop of widespread suffering within Ethiopia, cannot be interpreted as a noble gesture. Instead, it reflects a callousness indicative of a leader more concerned with international reputation and self-preservation than with genuinely addressing the humanitarian crises at home. It is imperative for the people of Sudan and the broader international community to recognize this monetary contribution for what it truly represents: blood money, extracted from the starving and suffering populace of Ethiopia to construct a façade of compassion for a leader desperate to legitimize his authority while neglecting the urgent needs of his own citizens. This tragedy will persist in haunting Ethiopia unless its leaders are held accountable for their priorities and actions.
Consequently, I assert unequivocally that Abiy Ahmed’s $15 million donation to Sudan, juxtaposed against the widespread suffering of Ethiopians, cannot be construed as a noble gesture. Rather, it embodies a callousness indicative of an individual more preoccupied with image-building and self-preservation than with genuinely addressing the humanitarian disasters in his own backyard. It is imperative for the people of Sudan and the broader international community to comprehend this financial contribution for what it truly represents: blood money, extracted from the starving and suffering Ethiopians to create a façade of compassion for a leader desperate to legitimize his authority while neglecting the pervasive famine throughout his country. The world must remain cognizant of the fact that the tragedy will persist in haunting Ethiopia unless its leaders are held accountable for the atrocities they are committing against their own people.
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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*****Charity begins at home*****
1 Timothy 5:8 ESV /
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
1 Timothy 5:1-25 ESV /
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows.*** But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God**. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, …
*****Charity begins at home*****
Ethiopia is now experiencing the worst and most dangerous imbecile incompetence of its “leader”.