France’s President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Addis Ababa on Tuesday as part of his four-day tour of East Africa. The visit has provided the French press an occasion to give attention to events in the country. Le Monde, the most renowned French daily newspaper, on its Tuesday edition published a half-page news analysis entitled “Reformer Abiy Ahmed in the face of ethnic challenge,” written by Christophe Châtelot, a Paris-based journalist and the next half devoted to an interview with Ethiopia’s president, Sahle-Work Zewde, done by the Addis Ababa-based correspondent, Emeline Wuilbercq.

Christophe Châtelot started his piece by talking about the newly decorated office of Prime Minister Abiy, which he said in the past was dark and austere, but now transformed into “a sparkling white structure, embellished with contemporary works of art, luxurious furniture and high-tech equipment.”

“This revitalization, made after the prime minister’s appointment in April 2018, could be a metaphor for Ethiopian economic prosperity for fifteen years,” the article claims. “It has also been the easiest task to carry out in view of the unfathomable faults that cross and weaken this country of 105 million inhabitants,” it added. The article in optimistic mood pointed out the prime minister’s sweeping reform moves that has opened up political space, including releasing thousands of political prisoners, the formation of a national reconciliation commission, and the removing of political parties from a terrorist list.

“The reforms undertaken were beneficial, but they did not kill all the demons,” the journalist says, citing the ethnic federalism nature of the constitution that is causing ethnic conflict and displacement in the country. Merera Gudina and René Lefort who spoke recently in a conference in Paris organised by the Institut Français des Relations Internationales were cited in the article.

The second piece, about “Africa’s only female head of state,” was based on the interview with the Ethiopian president, Sahle-Work Zewde held in Addis Ababa on March 10 in collaboration with TV5 and RFI. “I have power: that of having a very powerful torch. I can shed light on areas that remain in the shadows, the president said speaking in fluent French. Upon her election, the 69-year-old career diplomat promised to “focus on the role of women in securing peace,” the article reads. “We have to fundamentally change the status of women. All these harmful practices related to tradition, custom, it is not an enforcement of the law that could change them. What really needs to change is the mentality,” the president was quoted as saying. On its online page, Le Monde also published an article focusing on Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the historic city of Lalibela and on possible announcement of the president detailing of how France would help with the restoration ancient churches in the 13th Century city, written by Emeline Wuilbercq.

French Catholic daily newspaper, La Croix also published a profile of Ethiopia’s president, under the title, Salhe-Work Zewde, a French-speaking President of Ethiopia. Le Journal du Dimanche on its webpage published a piece entitled “In Ethiopia, women in power” written by its special correspondent, Karen Lajon.

The widely-read conservative daily Le Figaro entitled its article “Emmanuel Macron hails the reawakening of Ethiopia,” saying the Ethiopian airlines crash which killed 157 people on board,  including nine French nationals could upset the President’s program.

Another weekly periodical, L’Express did a six-page coverage of the country’s transition period by featuring various protagonists, with a headline “Le va-tout réformiste » to mean a reformist who risks his all.

Another full-page article, published on Wednesday, on Figaro, written by the paper’s special correspondent, Cyrille Louis had a more pessimistic mood, describing the gathering and protest organized on Sunday March 10 in the capital in defence of the autonomous status of Addis Ababa, following protests in the Oromo region claiming ownership of Addis Ababa. The journalist compared it with another mass demonstration in support of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held in Meskel Square on June 28, 2018 and then went on to quote a certain Brook Kebede, a computer programmer and attendants of both gatherings, who told him that “Like everyone else here, I was there and I really thought he (Abiy Ahmed) was going to transform our country. But as time passes, I realize that his promises are empty and he is betraying us.” A more or less similar sentiment was echoed by Bweketu Siyoum, a poet, who said, “as the majority of Ethiopians, I was charmed at first by Abiy Ahmed and I continue to support him. But I also see him lock himself in a trap and I do not know how he will get by.”

Main Image: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomed president Macron upon his arrival at Lalibela International Airport this afternoon

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. Please cite Ethiopia Observer prominently and link clearly to the original article if you republish. If you have any queries, please contact us at ethiopiaobserver@protonmail.com. Check individual images for licensing details.