Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) dismissed claims that the Pretoria Peace Agreement compromised the interests of the Amhara region, calling such narratives completely detached from reality and urging citizens to resist viewing complex national challenges through a purely ethnic or religious lens.
Speaking on the impact of the peace deal, the Prime Minister emphasized that its primary achievement was silencing the guns across Tigray, Amhara, Afar, and the country at large, paving the way for stability and economic recovery. He firmly rejected assertions that the agreement sidelined regional interests, pointing out that prominent leaders from the Amhara and Afar regions, including then Amhara Vice President Getachew Jember and Ambassador Hassen actively participated in negotiations alongside key federal figures such as Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and National Intelligence Director General Redwan Hussein.
PM Abiy noted that the nine-page document contains no provisions harmful to any region, focusing instead on disarming combatants to ensure a single national defense force, restoring constitutional administration, preventing unauthorized foreign ties by regional entities, and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure. Those opposing the deal, he suggested, are either misinformed or deliberately twisting facts for political leverage.
Expanding on the broader need for social stability, Prime Minister Abiy cautioned against the dangerous habit of framing every localized crime or conflict as an ethnic or religious confrontation. Drawing a comparison to international practices, he noted that even mature democracies like the United States face regular incidents of mass violence, yet these are adjudicated through legal institutions rather than immediately labeled as racial conflicts between Black and White citizens.
The prime Minister argued that Ethiopia must similarly build a strong culture of institutional accountability and equal application of the law, ensuring that criminals cannot hide behind communal identities. Stressing that Ethiopia possesses abundant resources to support all its people, he called for genuine dialogue, mutual respect, and collaborative effort to secure lasting prosperity.
