In brief
Ethiopia’s General election resulted in a landslide for the Prosperity Party, giving Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed a second term. The win came while the country faced serious security challenges, including armed militias in Amhara and Oromia and a stalled political process in Tigray. Opponents argue that the election was marred by repression, low participation and unresolved conflict, hinting at a fragile political landscape. Regional dynamics involving Eritrea and Sudan further complicate the situation and may spur future tensions.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party captured 438 of 501 contested seats in the country’s most important elections to date, giving the ruling coalition an overwhelming parliamentary majority.
The landslide comes despite widespread tension. 143 polling stations in Ethiopia’s two largest regions did not open because of armed conflict that left voters unable to cast ballots in Amhara and Oromia.
Beyond the two regions, the northern province of Tigray, which suffered a two‑year war ending in 2022, was excluded from voting. Tigray remains a point of conflict, with disputed peace agreements and ongoing accusations of violence from both sides.
Abiy first rose to power in 2018 after protests that toppled a long‑standing government. He quickly earned praise for ending hostilities with Eritrea and for attempting to heal national divisions. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize one year after taking office.
Yet the country still faces risk. The Fano militia and the outlawed Oromo Liberation Army demanded autonomy and reject the election results, provoking a fragile security situation across Ethiopia.
Supporters of the Prosperity Party argue that the successful reforms will continue, while critics fear that the Prime Minister’s consolidation of power could deepen present fractures and spark further conflict.
The international community watches closely. The EU warned of a need for de‑escalation in the north, and the US imposed visa restrictions on hardline members of the Tigrayan Liberation Front, expressing concern that the situation could worsen into a wider regional war.
