Yesterday was the first day of the Ethiopian New Year 2016! Congratulations to my Ethiopian and Eritrean friends.

For those who might not be familiar, while much of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, Ethiopia uses its own calendar, known as the Ge’ez Calendar. This ancient calendar lags seven to eight years behind the Gregorian Calendar used globally. Hence, yesterday marked the first day of the New Ethiopian Year 2016, celebrated not only in Ethiopia but also by Eritreans and friends worldwide.

So, again, congratulations to Ethiopians as you bid farewell to 2015 – a remarkable year, one that no Ethiopian can look back on without a sigh of relief. Building on this, Ethiopians can look forward, in the words of Prime Minister Abiy, to a year of kindness and compassion.

Looking backwards to Last Year, 2015

One can hardly remember a year in the last decade about which the county’s adversaries prophesized as much doom as last year 2015. Some Western politicians predicted the country’s disintegration, with a Western diplomat during a regional visit purportedly brandishing a map depicting the separate parts into which Ethiopia would be balkanized. Others prophesized how the year would seal the end of Prime Minister Abiy’s political career due to his defiance against Western attempts to exert dominance over his nation. The region’s worst humanitarian crisis was also predicted, with a US diplomat even traversing neighboring countries to oversee preparations for an influx of refugees from Ethiopia! Simply put, were one to believe what they said of Ethiopia last year, the country shouldn’t be on the world map today, and its sons and daughters should be scattered as refugees away from their homeland.

But, of course, none of those has become, and if anything, the turn of events has further evidenced that fate has accursed Ethiopia’s enemies to consistently underestimate the country to their detriment. Looking back now, one can hardly recall that such doom-year prophecies were once made seriously. Instead, a year that was expected to witness the demise of the Ethiopian state became the birth year of an astonishing collection of significant military, political, cultural, and economic accomplishments, setting it apart as perhaps the most eventful year of Prime Minister Abiy’s leadership since 2018. It is the year when, against all odds, Ethiopians achieved unprecedented national accomplishments.

The Pretoria agreement

Perhaps the highlight of the year was the Pretoria Agreement, not only for the peace it brought to Ethiopia but also for the broader Pan-African symbolism it represented. It marked the first successful experiment of the idea of African solutions to African problems. Until then, non-Africans maintained that Africans were incapable of owning up to their challenges and resolving them by themselves. Ethiopians shattered that myth by coming together in the darkest hour of their country’s reckoning to engage in dialogue and reach agreements for a peaceful way forward. Today, as the year 2016 begins, much of the Pretoria Agreement is already implemented, demonstrating the willingness of its actors to sustain the fruits of peace. The disarmament, demobilization, and Reintegration of combatants, to the extent that everyone recognizes that the country has only one defense force as stated in Article 6 of the Pretoria Agreement has already achieved some significant success.

Otherwise, before the Pretoria Agreement, some predicted that the TPLF-led war in northern Ethiopia would overthrow the country’s democratically elected government, reinstate the unpopular TPLF, and install a Western puppet leader as the suzerain of the region. Others even looked forward to the secession of the Tigray region to trigger a domino effect that would cause other regions to break away too, and ultimately erase Ethiopia as we know it, from the world map. For a while, it seemed that these predictions might come true. However, as often happens, Ethiopians rediscovered their country’s original spirit, drew strength from within, united in purpose and sacrifice, much like during the anti-colonial battle at Adwa, and defeated the aggressors and their allies, emerging more united than divided.

Africa’s fastest-growing economy

2015 also witnessed Ethiopia reclaiming its place among the world’s fastest-growing economies, with an average growth rate of 6.4% in FY2021/22. This robust growth rate built on a longer-term track record of growth over the past 15 years, during which the country’s economy expanded at an average annual rate of nearly 10%, one of the highest rates globally.

What is particularly noteworthy about the year 2015 is the driving force behind this growth, namely capital accumulation, and specifically, public infrastructure investments. Speaking of public infrastructure investments, among other achievements such as the completion of Africa’s first public library that now generates unprecedented tourism income for the country, the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) perhaps stands out the most.

GERD filling completed

Ethiopia also completed GERD’s fourth, and as reports suggest, it’s final filling. This dam ranks among the top 10 largest hydroelectric dams globally, signifying the nation’s prowess in engineering. However, beyond its sheer magnitude, the completion of GERD holds a deeper significance. It serves as a powerful testament to the enduring spirit and unity of the Ethiopian people, transcending social, economic, and cultural boundaries.

The project, which has been a rallying point, bringing together Ethiopians from all walks of life, has also underscored the unwavering determination of Ethiopia’s leadership in the face of challenges, including regional and foreign attempts to hinder the dam’s construction. The country’s Prime Minister remained unyielding, no doubt recognizing that GERD represented a critical step towards fulfilling Ethiopia’s growing energy needs, reducing dependence on external sources, and fostering self-reliance.

Ethiopian Airlines Africa’s number one

On the aviation front, the country’s Airlines was, for the umpteenth time awarded as the fastest-growing global airline brand and Africa’s leading airline brand. At the SKYTRAX 2023 World Airline Awards held during the Paris Air Show in France on June 20, 2023, the airline received at least five prestigious accolades.

It was named the Best Airline in Africa for 2023, marking the sixth consecutive year of receiving this award. It was also recognized as the Best Business Class Airline in Africa for 2023 (five years in a row), Best Economy Class Airline in Africa for 2023 (five years in a row), Best Business Class Onboard Catering in Africa for 2023 (two years in a row), and Cleanest Airline in Africa for 2023.

Ethiopia’s Athletic heritage flourished

Last year also witnessed Ethiopians achieving remarkable milestones on the athletics front, further solidifying the country’s reputation as a global powerhouse in long-distance running. Ethiopian athletes garnered widespread attention by consistently shattering world records in various track and field events.

Ethiopians particularly excelled in long-distance running races throughout the year, culminating in a stunning double victory in the women’s marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Amane Beriso claimed the championship title, with her compatriot Gotytom Gebreslase securing a close second place. In this sense, the country’s rich athletic heritage continued to flourish, carrying forward the legacy of some of the world’s greatest athletes who hail from Ethiopia.

Top 10 Honey Producers Globally

2015 was also the year when Ethiopia cemented its position as Africa’s leading honey producer, securing a spot among the top ten honey producers on a global scale. Historically, Ethiopia’s honey production heavily relied on traditional beehives, with nearly 97% of beehives adhering to these age-old practices.

These traditions, deeply ingrained in the culture, encompassed forest beekeeping in the southern and southwestern regions and backyard beekeeping across the nation. However, recognizing the inefficiencies associated with these traditional methods, Ethiopia introduced the ‘Bounty of the Basket’ initiative last year. This initiative has significantly boosted honey production to approximately 98 thousand tons annually by embracing modern beekeeping techniques.

Model Green Legacy Initiative

Last year also saw the culmination of Ethiopia’s model Green Legacy Initiative to combat climate change challenges and ensure food self-sufficiency. As part of this initiative, the country successfully planted over 566 million saplings in just 12 hours in just 12 hours last year, breaking its own earlier record of 350 million trees planted in a day.

That record means that the country has now planted at least 25 billion seedlings in the past four years, surpassing its initial target of 20 billion. These efforts have gained international recognition, serving as a model for mobilizing the public to address sustainability concerns. It is now a model example that other countries are emulating, and therefore, one area in which Ethiopia will aim to keep the momentum in the year 2016 is in the bid to restore the country’s forest cover and tackle climate change, besides economic benefits.

Surplus Wheat Production

In the same year, Ethiopia achieved a surplus in wheat production available for export. This accomplishment can be attributed to the economic reforms implemented by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. One of these reforms involved a strategic planting campaign that gained popularity last year, aimed at reducing the nation’s dependence on imported wheat.

This campaign bore fruit, as Ethiopia refrained from importing any wheat throughout the fiscal year that ended in July last year. As Ethiopia ushers in the New Year 2016, its citizens can confidently anticipate a year marked by enhanced food security and substantial economic benefits. The surplus production means the country can save a significant $1 billion in foreign exchange.

BRICS membership bid accepted

To conclude the year in a truly continentally and geopolitically significant manner, Ethiopia’s bid for BRICS membership was approved during the 15th Summit held in South Africa in August. This historic decision elevates Ethiopia to the status of one of only six nations to join the previously five-member alliance, with membership set to commence in 2024. This inclusion within BRICS represents a momentous achievement for Ethiopia in the realms of geo-economics, geopolitics, and diplomacy.

The BRICS alliance, now spanning around 26% of the world’s landmass and encompassing roughly 42% of the global population, is poised to exert a progressively influential role in global geopolitics and trade. This aligns seamlessly with Ethiopia’s ambitious economic goals for prosperity, as membership ushers in new opportunities on the international stage, encompassing technology, foreign direct investment, and foreign debt reduction, which were previously inaccessible.

Looking forward to This Year, 2016

The Ethiopian New Year 2016 starts in the thick of Prime Minister Abiy’s constructive work, let’s make no mistake about that. But there is also no denying that he has not yet resolved all the tensions and differences, misunderstandings, and frictions within the Ethiopian people. One can avidly, and indeed justifiably criticize a number of things he has done in recent months, including how he is handling the Amhara conflict. Still, one has good reason to be confident that these remaining problems will in good time find appropriate organic solutions, hopefully this year, so that the country can for once all completely be peaceful.

So, as we look ahead to this year, a significant political challenge will involve creating a new and unified framework for the country’s governance system and security architecture. This framework should revamp identity-based political systems and transition towards a more centralized structure that prioritizes the Ethiopian state. The security architecture must also undergo reforms to ensure the safety of all Ethiopians, reducing the necessity for regions to maintain their own self-defense units. This is the only way the country can patch up the regional and ethnic fault lines that foreign adversaries often exploit to incite proxy conflicts, with the intention of coercing the government, regardless of its headship, to comply with their demands under the threat of regime change or national disintegration.

Finally, Ethiopians have every reason to celebrate last year’s achievements and anticipate the new year, but they must remember that these accomplishments came through hard-fought battles and sacrifices. The challenges of this Ethiopian New Year 2016 demand similar dedication.

Happy Ethiopian New Year 2016, again.