Ethiopia PM defends record, pledges peaceful vote amid rising northern tensions

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed defended his government’s six-month performance in parliament on Tuesday, pledging peaceful elections, dialogue to end conflicts and continued economic growth, as tensions rise again in the country’s north.

Addressing lawmakers during a question-and-answer session, Abiy said Ethiopia’s long history of conflict must give way to dialogue, pointing to the work of the National Dialogue Commission.

“For generations, Ethiopians have waged wars; the current generation must build the country through dialogue,” Abiy said, adding that early consultations showed Ethiopians shared “closely aligned interests and aspirations”.

Abiy said the government was working to ensure that this year’s national election would be peaceful, fair and more inclusive than the 2021 vote. “Let us judge it by the results,” he said, adding that the next parliament would reflect diverse political voices.

The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) recently announced plans to establish 40,448 polling stations nationwide, about 9,000 fewer than in the last election, including constituencies in the war-scarred Tigray region. Oromia will host the largest number of stations at nearly 13,400, followed by Amhara with about 11,400, Somali region with 4,085 and Tigray with 2,130. More than 4,200 polling stations in Harari, Sidama and Central Ethiopia will pilot electronic voting.

Opposition parties, however, say the election cannot be free or credible under current conditions. They have criticised a new digital candidate registration system, saying it was introduced without consultation and is unreliable given limited technological infrastructure. They also say strict documentation requirements disadvantage rural and marginalised candidates.

Abiy also addressed renewed tensions in disputed areas of northern Ethiopia, including Wolkait, where Amhara and Tigray regions have competing territorial claims. “The residents of Wolkait have the right to live in peace,” Abiy said, adding that displaced residents should return and administer themselves. “No one from outside has the right to decide on their behalf.”

In recent weeks, Ethiopian federal forces have reinforced positions south of a key river dividing the area, while Tigrayan forces have redeployed units to the north, reversing some withdrawals made after the 2022 peace deal, residents and officials said. The parallel mobilisation, in the absence of effective monitoring mechanisms, has raised fears of renewed fighting. A drone strike last week in Central Tigray’s Enticho area killed one truck driver and wounded another, local officials said. Two trucks carrying agricultural goods were destroyed in the attack.

The African Union said it would continue supporting confidence-building measures. Tigray’s ruling TPLF has accepted AU mediation, and the region’s interim president, General Tadesse, recently announced the withdrawal of Tigrayan forces from contested areas such as Tselemti in a bid to ease tensions.

Abiy said the people of Tigray wanted peace and development but had long been sidelined politically. “They must become actors in their own right,” he said, calling for a new political mindset and stronger local leadership.

Abiy also defended Ethiopia’s handling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), calling it a symbol of national unity. “Ethiopia completed the dam without a single birr of aid or loan,” he said.

The Dam continues to be a major point of contention between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, particularly over the allocation and control of Nile River water rights. In an effort to ease tensions, the President of the United States Donal Trump recently extended a formal mediation proposal through letters addressed to Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Both leaders publicly welcomed the initiative, signaling openness to renewed dialogue. This marks a fresh attempt at U.S. involvement after earlier negotiations during Trump’s first term failed to yield a binding agreement, leaving the dispute unresolved.

Abiy also said Ethiopia’s economy was growing and forecast growth of more than 10%, despite ongoing debt restructuring negotiations.