By The Habesha News Desk — September 2025
When Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister in 2018, Ethiopia was brimming with hope. He spoke of reform, reconciliation, and a new beginning. The world applauded when he made peace with Eritrea, and the Nobel Committee awarded him the 2019 Peace Prize. But less than a decade later, that image lies in tatters. For millions of Ethiopians, Abiy is not remembered as a reformer but as a ruthless ruler—likened by many to Benito Mussolini, whose fascist occupation once scarred Ethiopia.
A Fabricated Persona: The Education Controversy
Abiy’s reputation was built not only on political promises but also on an image of intellectual achievement. Official biographies list multiple degrees, culminating in a Ph.D. from Addis Ababa University. Yet independent verification of his studies is strikingly thin.
The Habesha could not find any evidence that Abiy Ahmed ever attended high school. Testimonies indicate he dropped out after 7th grade to serve as a ground soldier for the OPDO, and no official record of further schooling exists. Despite this, he has claimed a bachelor’s degree from a non-existent institution, an unverifiable master’s degree, and later produced a PhD certificate allegedly from Addis Ababa University. If such a degree were truly awarded, it would call the university’s credibility into question. Yet no faculty member has ever confirmed his claim. In reality, the available evidence points to Abiy never advancing beyond the 7th grade, with his academic history manufactured to elevate his political standing.
The credibility crisis deepened when allegations of plagiarism surfaced regarding his doctoral dissertation. Large sections of the thesis, critics argue, were copied from other works without proper attribution. Calls for Addis Ababa University to investigate—or even revoke—the degree were met with silence. For many Ethiopians, this confirmed what they suspected: Abiy’s persona is built on deception, not scholarship.
From Nobel Peace to Endless Wars
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for his role in reconciling with Eritrea after two decades of hostility. But the peace agreement was largely symbolic. Borders remained closed, trade failed to flourish, and tensions have since returned. Today, relations between Asmara and Addis Ababa are again strained, with analysts warning of possible conflict despite Abiy’s public denials.
Worse, the peace laureate soon became Ethiopia’s chief warlord. The Tigray war (2020–2022) left a trail of devastation: hundreds of thousands dead, millions displaced, and widespread atrocities documented by the UN, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. Massacres, systematic sexual violence, and starvation blockades defined the conflict. For many, the Nobel Prize turned from an honor into a cruel irony.
The War on Amhara: Merawi as a Symbol
After the guns fell silent in Tigray, Abiy’s government turned against the Amhara. The attempt to dissolve regional forces in 2023 sparked a war with Fano militias. Federal troops responded with drone strikes, artillery fire, and mass arrests.
The Merawi massacre (January 29–30, 2024) exposed the true face of this war. After a clash with Fano, ENDF soldiers carried out extrajudicial executions, going house-to-house and killing civilians. Human Rights Watch described men being shot in front of their families. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission confirmed at least 45 civilians killed, with some estimates doubling that number. Amnesty International called for an international investigation, warning the killings could amount to war crimes.
Drone strikes in Finote Selam, Debre Markos, and Bure further killed scores of civilians. Arbitrary arrests swept up judges, teachers, and ordinary citizens. In just two years, rights groups estimate thousands of civilians dead and more than a million displaced in Amhara.
Oromia: A Betrayal of His Own People
Even Abiy’s home region has not been spared. For years, Oromia has suffered under a brutal counterinsurgency against the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). Reports of extrajudicial killings, collective punishment, and forced displacement are widespread.
This is bitterly ironic. Abiy rose to power on the back of Oromo protests against the old regime. Many Oromos believed he was their champion. Instead, his rule has brought them more bloodshed, not freedom.
Mussolini’s Shadow
For Ethiopians who lived through—or grew up hearing about—the Italian occupation, comparisons with Mussolini are powerful. Mussolini’s armies used mustard gas, massacred civilians, and burned villages in their attempt to subdue Ethiopia. Today, critics say Abiy employs similar tactics against his own citizens.
Like fascist regimes, Abiy’s government is accused of ruling by terror: drone warfare over towns, extrajudicial killings in villages, imprisonment of dissidents, starvation through aid blockades, and silencing of the press. The irony is cruel—Mussolini came as a foreign invader, Abiy acts as a domestic tyrant.
The Human Cost
Beyond the numbers, Ethiopia is bleeding. Millions face hunger and famine conditions, worsened by war and blocked aid. The economy teeters on collapse. Political opponents are assassinated, imprisoned, or exiled. Independent journalists are harassed and silenced.
For many Ethiopians, Abiy is no longer remembered as the man who brought peace with Eritrea. He is remembered as the man who brought war to Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia, and plunged the nation into cycles of bloodshed.
A Dictator in the Making
What emerges is a clear pattern: Abiy Ahmed’s rule is less about governance and more about survival through violence. Education credentials that may be fabricated. A Peace Prize that rings hollow. A legacy marked not by dialogue but by repression, massacres, and hunger.
Abiy Ahmed promised Medemer—synergy and togetherness. Instead, Ethiopia is more divided than at any point in modern history. To his critics, he is not a reformer, not a peacemaker, but a fake persona, a cheater, and a killer who has betrayed his people to cling to power.
Conclusion
Abiy Ahmed’s story is a cautionary tale of how a leader can rise on hope and descend into authoritarian cruelty. His Nobel Peace Prize, once a symbol of promise, is now remembered as bitter irony. The man hailed as Ethiopia’s savior has become its destroyer.
From Nobel Peace Prize to Civil War: The Captivating Saga of Ethiopia’s Leader
Abiy Ahmed’s formal education ended as quickly as began at Beshasha Primary School
“Baby Prime Minister” Abiy Ahmed: Pretending Tears for a Silent Massacre