BY YESUF ENDRIS
Since Dr. Abiy Ahmed came to power, the government has been putting in place a wide range of reforms on various sectors principally on the federal security institutions and other linchpin organizations. These measures are meant to ensure the rule of law though reforming the sector is far from over.
The history of Ethiopian security institutions particularly the national defense forces had so far been under the dominance of one group hardly wining the confidence of many given the diverse nature of the country.
Consequently, most of internal conflicts were not resolved through security institutions despite the fact that Ethiopia has magnificent history of fighting foreign traitors.
Recently, the TPLF clique committed a deadly attack on the National Defense Forces and Federal Polices assuming that they could regain power. Besides, reports are revealed depicting the intention of TPLF to control the security services to dominate power and easily control strategic areas and then come to the national palace.
Military experts said that the security institutions of Ethiopia have been mainly influenced by political decisions and dominance of one group; thus several revolutions were erupted at different times.
The security institutions have been manipulated by political leaders since Tigray People Liberation front (TPLF) junta assumed power. There was a great discrepancy among the people and opposition parties following the structure of security agencies and security related laws which were allegedly designed to be easily manipulated by one group during the former TPLF driven administration of Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
Following the reform taken after the passing away of EPRDF, Prime minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly vowed to restructure federal security institutions including Federal Police, National Defense Force, and Information Network Security Agency.
Structural rearrangement reforms, revisions of laws and equipping the security force with advance technology have also been exercised accordingly.
In addition to the reform on security institutions, Ethiopian Aviation Authority has also adopted the first ever law in the country which allows it to use drones for security services.
It was also reported that the reform has helped the nation register fruitful results with regard to making of security service independent and departed from political influences and make them inclusive and technologically advanced institutions.
Addressing the progress of law enforcement operation in Tigray state to the Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the past administration had several tactics to manipulate the security service citing special provisions in favor of a group of politicians.
As to him, he himself was under restrain by security personals that were obedient to the TPLF clique. The government has transformed the security service to end one group dominance and gained victory over the Junta TPLF through swift, scientific reforms taken over the last two plus years.
As learnt from the Premier, the main cause for the reform was the past trend which was basically organized declaring one group dominance, and to cure all ill-missioned institutions across the nation.
“We have confirmed that the former INSA director has plundered large amount of security assets. But we have no information that how much and what types of equipment have been pillaged. This is due to the absence of formal, well organized, participatory and impartial arrangement of the security service,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister, the reform that was taken over the last two years has transformed the security service and helped it be equipped with modern technologies and skilled manpower though some well entrenched and nurtured wrong patterns are still exist.
Since the Federal police, National Defense Force, and Information Network Service Agency have been dominated by decisive officials from one group, the government has incurred a huge cost to get things well tracked, he remembered.
However, at present, he added, the structures of security institutions are being checked and enjoy fruits of the reform to make then dependable as well as inclusive for all Ethiopians.
Talking about technological reforms made in security services and what is right now practically applied, he said “We are watching the TPLF militias live.” As to him, equipping the security force with drone technologies and missiles has been done.
Dr. Adamu Anley, former National Defense Forces member told The Ethiopian Herald that the recently TPLF-orchestrated crime against the national security forces has been one of the manifestations that showcase the severe impact of disproportional army structure.
“It is a reprehensible act against sovereignty of the country. They were manipulating the National Defense Force as their own party asset setting its being national pride aside. In fact, there will never be national defense force which could wag tails for any party or governmental body in Ethiopian,” he noted.
The standard to recruited security forces should be merit based and based on skills keeping ethnic proportion since Ethiopia has sufficient human power; and such a biased structure that leads to destruction should be obliterated.
He further noted that there should be deep reforms in equipping security forces with modern warfare weapons.
“The world is speeding with latest warfare technologies, and considerations should be taken that our external enemies would have such weapons, he said adding technological advancements have influenced trends of warfare through time and structures and range of weapons are seemingly transformed. Hence law and security structural reforms should be revised in accordance with the newly born technologies.”
Yayew Genet, Political science lecturer at Selale University on his part said that intensive reforms should also be well done as crimes orchestrated by the junta are still erupting.
During the reign of EPRDF, the security service has been used as a means of keeping the power of TPLF’s official intact and quenching their interests, he said.
“The group wagged war merely listening their own spirits and intentions with a view to attaining their ill-intentioned mission so that they attacked the security institutions of their own country. This should be taken as an alarm for reforming the security services,” he remarked.
“Basically, the security force particularly the defense force is the solo force in defending the national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said adding the reformist government should reconsider the past’s trend of political intervention into the security service so as to build independent institution.”
The Ethiopian government also announced that the reform is, will be, and based on scientific approaches to build security institutions. The prime minister has also reaffirmed that activities undertaken in the future will focus on rebuilding of the security service with inclusive, skill based and technology-oriented systems.
The Ethiopian herald December 4/2020
