In Russian

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Abiy's Medemer መደመር book in Russian language for 12 Su-35s & 4 S-400 air-defense batteries is quite a deal. For Russia. For Abiy. No one knows how much this is going to cost poor Ethiopians: for parts, for training, for hiring Russian pilots. And for imported grain. There's a hell of soft power!

Abiy is now requiring members of his personal party including cabinet ministers to line up for military drills. He says it is war preparedness. He must have read somewhere about "dual approach" and might well try it on his ministers. In other words, joining civilian governance with military discipline. Abiy is both a civilian and member of the military. Go figure.

This could be the prelude for Mengistu-style dictatorship. No need for stupid elections (not even the sham ones he's conducted in the past decade). Guess what? anyone could be sent to jail on account of "terrorism" and for a breach of 'national security'. Abiy is hungry for more power and does not understand what sharing or enough is. 

A couple years ago he said that the US should not be worried about the logistics or human costs of sending troops to the region. It could outsource it to him (personally) because he has 130 million people to serv his fantasy of a revived world power--Ethiopia! And what's more, casualties won't cause any public outrage as it would in the US. 

The outsourcing will have a price tag, of course. And much more. That would include the US and UK looking the other way when human rights are violated. And Abiy could keep his power until he is incapacitated (like mentor Meles) or flees the country (like Mengistu). Not a bad deal while it lasts. 

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