Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has sent cabinet ministers and other senior government officials through military training, arguing that discipline within the armed forces can help develop stronger leaders and advance the country’s development ambitions.
Photos shared by the prime minister on social media showed him participating in military exercises alongside ministers, deputy ministers and heads of government institutions at the Hurso military training centre. The move was unusual in Ethiopia, where senior civilian officials are rarely seen taking part in military drills.
Among those participating were Speaker of the House of Federation Muferiat Kamil, Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa and Health Minister Mekdes Daba. However, it remained unclear when the training began or how long it was expected to last.
In his social media post, Abiy said Ethiopia’s ambition to achieve universal prosperity required its leadership to be physically fit, morally strong and intellectually capable. He argued that military institutions offered valuable lessons in discipline, patriotism, teamwork, accountability and leadership.
Explaining the relationship between military and civilian responsibilities, Abiy said the two groups shared a common objective despite having different roles.
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“Soldiers have targets while civilians have goals. The objective of both is victory,” Abiy said, adding that combining military and civilian disciplines would help create a generation capable of achieving both.
The Ethiopian leader further argued that military training could help develop officials with a stronger sense of purpose, responsibility and the ability to work together towards common objectives.
The programme comes as Ethiopia faces several security challenges, including continued fighting in parts of the northern Tigray region, conflict in Amhara and insecurity in Oromia. The country is also experiencing heightened tensions with neighbouring Eritrea amid concerns about the possibility of renewed conflict between the two nations.
Abiy has previously emphasised military preparedness and national development as central to his government’s ambitions.
