The reform agenda under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which has received nods and political acclaim globally, has radically broken the mould not only in the Ethiopian context but also in the African and global political spheres. It has indeed been a series of transformative firsts for Ethiopia since Abiy Ahmed took the helm following the resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn in February 2018. At 41, Abiy Ahmed is the youngest head of government in Africa and the first Oromo (the majority ethnic group in Ethiopia) to lead the country.

It all began with the lifting of the state of emergency that had been imposed in February 2018 following waves of anti-government protests in the [...]