Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Seen in Cabinet Meeting After Rumors About His Health

August 3, 2022

Ethiopian export economy performance was impressive given the situation Ethiopia was in last year, says Abiy 

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during a meeting with his ministers on August 3,2022

Borkena

When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was visiting Ethiopia on July 26, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was not seen for days.

Abiy, the top decision maker in the country, did not meet with Lavrov. Just months before he became prime minister, there was a story that Abiy Ahmed, then a member of parliament and top official in the Oromo region of Ethiopia and a cabinet minister, skipped parliament.

Regarding his recent absence, some rumoured about his health. Others predicted a possible security incident that involved an attempt on his life. Still, others were thinking that he was just gauging the political temperature in the country.

What exactly happened is unknown. Secrecy and political manipulation have been customary in the tradition of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front which later rebranded as the Prosperity Party under the leadership of Abiy Ahmed.

What is known is that the state-owned media, Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, showed video footage of him leading a cabinet meeting on the Economic performance of the country.

From the video footage, he does not look frail or someone who recently recovered from a serious illness that impacted his office hours.

He was seen hailing Ethiopian economic performance – especially in the export trade – in the concluded fiscal year. He said it was impressive as Ethiopia was in a difficult situation. 

Ethiopia has been at war with the TPLF for nearly two years now – something that impacted the economy as the country was also facing sanctions because of the war. 

Meanwhile, US delegates, including the Charge de Affair in the country, and their western allies were in Mekelle talking to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). 

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and TPLF are said to be sitting for negotiation right after the Kenyan election this week. It is hoped that the negotiation would end the war.