Abiy Joins Ministers in Military Drills, Calls for Disciplined Leadership

By : Kadir Moustapha

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has joined ministers and senior government officials in military training, saying discipline and preparedness could strengthen civilian leadership and help deliver the government’s development goals.

Abiy participated in exercises at the Hurso military training centre on October 31. Photographs shared on his X account showed him seated outdoors with officials wearing beige training clothes.

Participants included House of Federation Speaker Muferiat Kamil, Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa and Health Minister Mekdes Daba.

“The government’s leadership is engaged in intense military training,” Abiy wrote in an October 31 post on X, according to an English translation of his Amharic-language statement.

He said Ethiopia’s ambitions required leaders who combined physical fitness with knowledge, ethical conduct and a commitment to public service.

“It must be physically strong, morally steadfast, knowledgeable, and disciplined in conduct,” he wrote, describing the leadership needed to advance those objectives.

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Abiy said military experience offered lessons in teamwork, accountability, readiness and coordination across different levels of government. Civilian officials could apply those principles to carrying out public duties and translating national priorities into practical results, he said.

He linked the training to the government’s broader strategy, including aligning administrative structures with national objectives, fulfilling commitments to citizens and safeguarding national security.

The prime minister also argued that development should encompass material prosperity alongside spiritual, cultural and moral progress.

Drawing a comparison between soldiers and civilian officials, Abiy said both needed discipline to accomplish their respective responsibilities. Combining lessons from military and civilian leadership could help develop leaders capable of achieving wider national goals, he said.

His statement did not specify when the training programme began or how long it would continue.

(Reporting by HornDiplomat News Desk)