Samia Zekaria, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Qatar, told Al Jazeera that the failed Amhara power grab was the work of people trying to seize authority against the will of the population, and that life had returned toward normal after the shock. She said the attempt “came completely unexpectedly given the ongoing political and democratic reforms” under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Authorities accused Brig. Gen. Asaminew Tsige of organising the 22 June attacks in Bahir Dar and Addis Ababa that killed the Amhara regional president and the national army chief of staff, among others. Asaminew was later shot dead by security forces. Zekaria called the episode a national tragedy and said Ethiopians wanted peace.
In the same interview she discussed human rights and Ethiopia’s mediating role in Sudan. She argued that lasting power in Ethiopia should come through voting, not violence, and tied that claim to the reform programme that had released prisoners, widened political space, and reshaped the cabinet since 2018.
The exchange offered a clear diplomatic line from Addis Ababa’s foreign service at a moment when regional partners were watching whether Ethiopia’s openings would survive the weekend’s killings.
Sources: Al Jazeera