Ethiopia’s prime minister has done press-ups with dozens of protesting soldiers, who marched with guns into his office in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Abiy Ahmed was unhappy that soldiers had brought weapons into his office and ordered them to do 10 press-ups.
They were among several hundred protesting soldiers who entered his office grounds to demand a pay rise.
The situation caused alarm, leading to road closures in the area and the internet to be shut off for hours.
However, the smiles on the soldiers’ faces as they performed the press-ups suggest the prime minister succeeded in defusing the situation amicably.
After meeting the soldiers on Wednesday, Abiy said he would “look into their complaints” but stressed that even civil servants had to make to with low salaries as the country had limited resources.
“We have to use the money for development purposes,” he said according to a statement.
“We can pay everyone higher salaries but we will end up [with] no development.”
Wtf, Kenya has problems but not of this level, can you imagine soldiers from Langata barracks matching to Harambee avenue to demand salary increment???
No wonder our govt has kept the size of the army at no more than 30k, keeping a huge army in a 3rd world nation is a security risk if you can’t pay them well
It’s actually true. Internet was off in Ethiopia yesterday because of this incident so this story didn’t get wide circulation. I read this story first from Awol Allo
Something is not right in our brothers Ethiopia, they currently have the best PM ever… This is not the first I have read on the economic downturn even the largest dam in Africa is in jeopardy in completing. I had crossed my fingers on them on the EA cooperation hoping we dump the Annoying TZ.
Boss si uulize tu! I have seen you make statement that brings your appreciation of the subject matter into question! Ask the SMEs and you will be answered in the meantime choke on this!
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Ethiopia took in huge Chinese debt much like our idiots in Jubilee/TNA. Unlike Manugu digital, the Ethiopian ruling party, EPDRF came to the realisation that to pay off this debt, they need to exploit the country’s national resources and these resources happen to be in areas where the local tribes despise the central Amhara/Tigrayan government’s oppression- especially Oromos and Somalis.
The old guard of Hailemariam Desalegn was removed and the party installed Abiy Ahmed who is an Oromo and reform minded. Since he came to power he has been relentlessly trying to unite a very fractured nation and making amends with dissidents who had been exiled or jailed under Zenawi. He has also done the unthinkable- made peace with Eritrea and in the process gained access to seaports outside of Djibouti. Abiy has also been trying to handshake with the Ogaden Somalis whose territory contains massive oil deposits and want nothing to do with Ethiopia.
Ethiopia needed this man otherwise it would have collapsed into a civil war.
This is not the first I have read on the economic downturn even the largest dam in Africa is in jeopardy in completing. I had crossed my fingers on them on the EA cooperation hoping we dump the Annoying TZ.
I hope that dam completely collapses otherwise Turkanas and Lake Turkana are ferked big time. Before Ethiopia joins EAC, they will need to be a united nation first and that is taking its time.