It would not be an exaggeration to say that government entities have arguably been at the forefront in making the lives of many a living hell in Ethiopia.

There is a broad consensus that party politics in Ethiopia, which dates close to half a century, has by and large been the anti-thesis of democracy.

The theme of this editorial is inspired by the life of Negasso Gidada (PhD), the erstwhile president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia who passed away a week ago.

Home to 100 million-plus citizens who have diverse interests present-day Ethiopia finds itself in a moment where it has no choice but to make greater strides in the political, economic and social spheres.

The much anticipated closed-door meeting of the Council of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) wound up this Tuesday.

As Rwandans commemorated the 25th anniversary of the horrific 1994 genocide on April 7 Ethiopians from different walks of life expressed trepidation at the prospect of their country experiencing a similar atrocity.

Ethiopia has been undergoing a sea change ever since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) came to power a year ago.

Expecting democracy to take root in Ethiopia without respect for freedom of thought is a pipe dream. It should be borne in mind that the responsibility of defending freedom of thought does not rest on the government alone; politicians, human rights activists, intellectuals and the general public also are duty-bound to stand up for this fundamental right.

It’s Ethiopians who come to their beloved nation’s succor in times of adversity. All citizens who genuinely have Ethiopia’s interest at heart have no choice but to stand steadfast regardless of the gravity or frequency of the challenges that come their way for life is not a bed of roses.

First we would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302who perished in a tragic accident on March 10 after the Boeing 737 Max8 they were on board crashed shortly after take-off.