Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is likely to retain his post in elections today, even as tensions in parts of the country spark fears of renewed conflict.
Security challenges could prevent voting from taking place in parts of the country: Despite the end of a two-year civil war in 2022, tensions are rising in the northern Tigray region where a pre-war parliament has been recently restored, underscoring a continuing battle for influence between Abiy and regional leaders.
Ethiopia’s economy is expected to grow by 7.8% in 2025-26 and 8.5% in 2026-27, according to the African Development Bank. Abiy has undertaken a campaign of economic liberalization, opening the country up to foreign companies, relaunching a stock exchange last year, and raising the revenue-generation capacity of state-owned enterprises. But Ethiopia faces significant challenges, such as an external debt level that the AfDB says is “unsustainable.”