Corruption
Its under the surface, but it's definitely there. Awassa, the second largest city in Ethiopia, suffers from chronic blackouts, an atrocious telecommunications system and water shortages (through the pipes, not just in the rural areas where food security is a SERIOUS problem). At first sight this seems like a typical infrastructure problem of the developing world (I HATE that bollocks PC term), but as I speak to more and more people I am coming to the conclusion that government is to blame.
On paper, Ethiopia is a federal republic with individual states generally comprising one dominant ethnic group. The exception to this is SNNPR (where I am), hence its name "Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region" where over 50 languages are spoken ethnic struggles are common. Anyway, for 18 years now one party has held on to power, this party is called the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The Prime Minister is from Tigray in northern Ethiopia, and has filled his cabinet and the civil service with Tigrayans (sp?). Tigray's population are a minority in the country and this is causing a severe lack of representation. Most people I have spoken to say they are disillusioned with the ballot box, as the current regulations apparently allow for a certain... leeway shall we say? This is no secret, everybody I have spoken to about this says it is common knowledge that election-rigging is rife, and the independent monitors concur.
So then I moved onto the question of dissent. Everyone is shit scared of the authorities. I remember my boss warning me very early on that the federal police (who look like the army, complete with AK-47s) are not to be argued with. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it turns out that the slightest protest is brutally crushed by the army, the police are not even involved. Protestors are imprisoned if caught, which is lucky as many are frequently shot to death while exercising their democratic right. One of my colleagues, whilst working for the government, was imprisoned for a week simply for criticising an administrative method to a colleague! So dissent is viciously and systematically suppressed. A friend of mine said "we prefer to cry inside". From what I can gather this makes Greek authoritarianism tame by comparison.
So with no accountability, the government can act with impunity. And it is for this reason that I *suspect* that they prefer to line their pockets rather than develop the necessary infrastructure for the advancement of their country. Government dominates most industries, not just the three mentionned above, the Isuzu buses that make up a significant chunk of public transport are known as "Al-Quaida" because they kill so many people. Building a house is near-impossible because the land is government-owned and the only people granted such plots are members of (and generally fervent supporters of) the ruling party. Be it through negligence or corruption, the current government is probably the greatest constraint on Ethiopian development, and it doesn't look like it will change anytime soon.
This is a situation where privatisation could do some serious good for the people. Yes, apparently that IS possible!
On paper, Ethiopia is a federal republic with individual states generally comprising one dominant ethnic group. The exception to this is SNNPR (where I am), hence its name "Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region" where over 50 languages are spoken ethnic struggles are common. Anyway, for 18 years now one party has held on to power, this party is called the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The Prime Minister is from Tigray in northern Ethiopia, and has filled his cabinet and the civil service with Tigrayans (sp?). Tigray's population are a minority in the country and this is causing a severe lack of representation. Most people I have spoken to say they are disillusioned with the ballot box, as the current regulations apparently allow for a certain... leeway shall we say? This is no secret, everybody I have spoken to about this says it is common knowledge that election-rigging is rife, and the independent monitors concur.
So then I moved onto the question of dissent. Everyone is shit scared of the authorities. I remember my boss warning me very early on that the federal police (who look like the army, complete with AK-47s) are not to be argued with. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it turns out that the slightest protest is brutally crushed by the army, the police are not even involved. Protestors are imprisoned if caught, which is lucky as many are frequently shot to death while exercising their democratic right. One of my colleagues, whilst working for the government, was imprisoned for a week simply for criticising an administrative method to a colleague! So dissent is viciously and systematically suppressed. A friend of mine said "we prefer to cry inside". From what I can gather this makes Greek authoritarianism tame by comparison.
So with no accountability, the government can act with impunity. And it is for this reason that I *suspect* that they prefer to line their pockets rather than develop the necessary infrastructure for the advancement of their country. Government dominates most industries, not just the three mentionned above, the Isuzu buses that make up a significant chunk of public transport are known as "Al-Quaida" because they kill so many people. Building a house is near-impossible because the land is government-owned and the only people granted such plots are members of (and generally fervent supporters of) the ruling party. Be it through negligence or corruption, the current government is probably the greatest constraint on Ethiopian development, and it doesn't look like it will change anytime soon.
This is a situation where privatisation could do some serious good for the people. Yes, apparently that IS possible!