Ethiopia PM continues national tour with visits to Gondar and Bahir Dar

Ethiopia Premier Abiy Ahmed visited on 20 April the cities of Gondar and Bahir Dar town in the northern Amhara region. The trip was of his nationwide tour that started two weeks ago.

In Gondar, PM Abiy was received by the head of the region, Gedu Andargachew and other top officials of the state.

As part of his itinerary, he addressed residents at the Gondar stadium to listen to their concerns and send messages of unity.

He said the Ethiopian government would work to make Gonder city which is close to the Sudanese border a foreign trade hub for northwest Ethiopia. The PM also pledged to fix youth unemployment and other economic needs of the population.

The premier also attended this year’s Tana Forum in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara Regional State where he delivered an address on 21 April.

While holding discussions with residents of Bahir Dar town, the Premier said the people of Amhara, along with other Ethiopians, have paid a lot of sacrifices to safeguard the sovereignty of the country.    

After apologising for the loss of life due to the problems occurred in the past years, the Premier underscored the need to move forward by forgetting the black scares left as a result of the conflict.

During the discussion, the participants asked various questions to the Premier.

While responding to a question regarding the appointment of government officials, he said “I came to power to serve all nations and nationalities of Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromo, Afar…). No matter from which inhabitants an official comes from, I want him/her to detest corruption and better serve the public.”

Since taking over from PM Hailemariam Desalegn on April 2, PM Abiy has embarked on a national tour that has seen him visit Jijiga (Ethio-Somali region), Ambo (Oromia region) and Mekelle (Tigray region). He has shared the message of peace during all his rounds across the country.

He is tasked with undertaking political reforms that were announced in early January by the ruling Ethiopia Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).