borkena
June 30, 2018
Ambassador Kassa Kebede was one of the most influential figures during colonel Mengistu Hailemariam’s seventeen-year administration.
Among other things, he has served as a minister for social affairs and Ethiopian ambassador to Israel. He has been outside of Ethiopia for more than twenty-seven years now and is known as one of the critics of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated administration.
Today, State media, Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) reported that Kassa Kebede is in Ethiopia accepting prime minister Abiy Ahmed administration calls for Ethiopian politicians abroad to come to their country.
Ahmed Shede, Government Communication Affairs Minister, received Dr. Kassa Kebede upon arrival at Bole International Airport. Dr. Kassa Kebede met with Deputy prime minister Demeke Mekonen and he is expected to meet with Dr. Abiy Ahmed, as well.
Remarking on Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s political views and his first speech in the Ethiopian parliament, Dr. Kassa Kebede told EBC journalists “We were worried that it looked like as if Ethiopia was collapsing. Dr, Abiy’s political stand as a champion of Love, peace, forgiveness, Ethiopian Unity and Ethiopian sovereignty has fundamentally reversed the situation, although not completely.” He added, “I am here to be added.” He employed Abiy Ahmed’s Amharic word “medemer” which has become a key political vocabulary that has captured the aspiration of Ethiopian’s for unity in light of ethnic-based divisions in the last twenty-seven years.
The report by EBC added that Kassa Kebede pledged to support his country his skills. He has expertise in security analysis in the Horn of Africa.
In a similar development, leader of Moresh – a party that was formed in the diaspora to defend the rights of ethnic Amhara in light of pervasive ethnic-based attack also entered Ethiopia.
About a month or so ago, leaders of Oromo Democratic Front (ODF) returned to Ethiopia after nearly three decades in exile. They intended to “hold dialogue with the government” and had discussions with important authorities in Ethiopia including Abiy Ahmed and Lemma Megeresa.
Video credit: Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation
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The post “I am here to be added.” Ambassador Kassa Kebede in Ethiopia appeared first on Borkena Ethiopian News.