Ethiopia’s new prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, has expressed
frustration with the Tigrean People Liberation Front (TPLF) to a group
of close friends he recently met. One long time friend of the prime
minister (who wants to remain anonymous) told Ethiopian Review today
that Hailemariam is finding it impossible to get cooperation from the
TPLF members who are dominating the bureaucracy and military on a number
of issues, most particularly making personnel decisions. TPLF officials
also keep him in the dark on national security matters and he doesn’t
get timely reports as a commander-in-chief.
Ethiopian Review’s source also said Hailemariam wants to give amnesty
to all political prisoners, but hardliners in the TPLF-dominated state
security are dead set against it.
Asked if Hailemariam is concerned about his security, the source said
that all his family and friends are extremely worried, but Hailemariam
himself doesn’t seem to be concerned.
Hailemariam wants to mend relations with the Eritrean government and
he was furious that the Ethiopian football federation requested change
of venue for the scheduled soccer match with Eritrea. Hailemariam
believes that peaceful relations with Eritrea will solve most of the
security issues in the region. However, TPLF leaders believe that
Eritrea policy is their domain and they don’t want Hailemariam to come
near it, Ethiopian Review source said.
The Nile river dam project is another area where Hailemariam feels
that he is being sabotaged. Ever since the late dictator Meles Zenawi
died last July, the TPLF has almost completely withdrawn support for the
project, which is currently facing a crippling shortage of funds.
Construction workers are not being paid on time, and critical supplies
and equipments are not arriving. Much of the funds that have been
collected so far have also been unaccounted for, the source said.
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