Last week, PM Abiy started his tour in Washington DC where he held a series of high-level engagements with development partners before addressing the Ethiopian diaspora.
He oversaw the reconciliation of rival synods of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, addressed political parties in a forum; he met the Muslim community at an event before attending a mega rally where he addressed concerns by the diaspora community.
“The Ethiopian diaspora embodies our rich, diverse nationhood and are our global ambassadors. We come to you not because of our immediate needs. It’s because you’re integral to our identity, our renewal, our democracy, our growth, our healing and our human capital,” he told the gathering on July 28.
He arrived in Los Angeles, the second leg of his tour on Sunday. Abiy and his delegation met with Ethiopians as he reiterated his message of love and unity.
His chief of staff wrote on Twitter, “He urged them to tear down the wall of hatred and bring home the culture of innovation that LA is known for. He challenged the enthusiastic crowd to demand from themselves in service of the country they so love.”
The last leg of his visit will be in Minnesota – a state referred to as Little Oromia due to the sheer numbers of Ethiopians living there – where 10,000 Ethiopians warmly welcomed him.
In his address, the Premier once again reiterated the need to break the wall and build a bridge.
In such score, the Premier said, “We already hit and broke the wall in Washington DC and Los Angeles; and here in Minnesota, it’s time to clear the ruins.”
He said “we need to create a society in which love and solidarity rule over cynicism and polarisation. All of us need not to have uniformity of opinion but the collective responsibility to transform the lives of our people.”
The Premier further underlined the need to learn from “our history and the experience of other countries and once again build a great nation called-Ethiopia.”
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also announced the decision to open a general consulate office in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Minnesota has become the second city with Ethiopia’s representation in the US with consulate general office next to Los Angeles.
