
Verbatim | May 27,2023
Apr 12 , 2020
If there is any organisation in the world today that is at the centre of attention, none could outbid the World Health Organization (WHO), and its embattled chief, Tedros Adhanom (PhD). A soft-spoken man with an amiable personality, Tedros remains one of the few Ethiopians to have made it to the top corridor in global power politics. Less than 100,000 short of a million followers, Tedros is the Ethiopian with the highest following on Twitter; at nearly 255,000, Haile Gebreselassie comes in second.
Many see Tedros now as a fall guy for the Republican Party establishment in the United States, although he has a fair share of critics for his legacy with the TPLF. The Republican Party establishment, including President Donald Trump, goofed up by underestimating the menace Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) was and the speed in which it could infect the world population. Now that the COVID-19 death toll in the United States has surpassed 18,000 (up until Saturday), they are blaming the WHO and its chief for giving a blind eye to the obscure Chinese response during the early weeks of the pandemic.
From the Editorial Board of The Wall Street Journal to the niche outlet that is The National Interest, Tedros is facing the wrath of the Republican Party establishment for his alleged cover-up of a cholera outbreak in Ethiopia while he was serving as the Health minister.
It should be noted that many members of the United States Congress disagree with Trump and blame his handling of the pandemic. However, close to 14 congressional members, including ranking members, have summoned Tedros to address the body before April 16. They are demanding that he brief Congress on why he denied human-to-human transmission; failed to declare the virus a pandemic early on; was reluctant to recommend drastic measures such as a travel ban; and praised China for its handling of the outbreak despite its alleged cover-up, gossip disclosed.
Tedros' supporters at home and abroad rallied behind him. From President Sahle-worq Zewdie to Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Moussa F. Mahamat of the AU, many stood by him and condoned his call for global unity amidst blame games for a deadly virus.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed (PhD), has been a voice with a glaring absence up until Saturday, gossip observed. But then he was careful not to dwell with the controversy stirred up by the Republican Party establishment; however, he applauded Tedros for “leading by example.”
It is not that Abiy has ill feelings toward Tedros, claims gossip. To the contrary, they get along very well and consider each other as friends, according to gossip.
Abiy is threading the needle carefully in an attempt not to anger the Republican Party establishment, with which he has more than a cordial relationship, claims gossip. His belated rallying voice was cleverly crafted in showing support for his country folk but avoiding a head-on confrontation with those in power in the United States, says gossip.
Already, his show of defiance to the wishes of those at the Treasury Department to see him strike deals with Egypt over the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has annoyed influential people such as Steven Mnuchin, secretary of the Treasury. It would be of little surprise if Abiy is now trying, through his interlocutors in the Middle East, to signal to the Americans that he intends to smooth out the soured relationship and avoid any controversy, claims gossip.
The Americans may not be alone in their sense of exasperation in the way the series of talks over the GERD have collapsed on their watch, claims gossip. Not few African countries, particularly those in the lower riparian states, have leaders who may feel let down seeing that Ethiopia entered into tripartite talks with a potential impact on the sharing of the Nile waters but outside of the Nile Basin Initiative, according to gossip.
Abiy is now trying to mend this relationship from going tense by appointing his predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, as a point man for issues concerning the GERD, gossip disclosed. From Abdul Fatah el-Sisi of Egypt to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and heads of state in the Nile Basin area, all are talking to Hailemariam, in whose composition Tekeda Alemu, former state minister for Foreign Affairs, was brought on board, gossip revealed.
If it was not for travel bans imposed on countries to contain COVID-19, Hailemariam and his team would have been on the charm offensive trail, including a planned meeting to South Africa that was cancelled at the last minute a couple of weeks ago, gossip disclosed.
PUBLISHED ON
Apr 12,2020 [ VOL
21 , NO
1041]
Verbatim | May 27,2023
Fortune News | Oct 21,2023
Fortune News | Dec 04,2021
Viewpoints | Jul 29,2023
Sponsored Contents | Jul 24,2022
Fortune News | Mar 20,2021
Fortune News | Jan 16,2021
Viewpoints | Feb 11,2023
Fineline | May 11,2019
Fortune News | Oct 30,2022
My Opinion | 132041 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 128437 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 126364 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 123987 Views | Aug 07,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Jul 12 , 2025
Political leaders and their policy advisors often promise great leaps forward, yet th...
Jul 5 , 2025
Six years ago, Ethiopia was the darling of international liberal commentators. A year...
Jun 28 , 2025
Meseret Damtie, the assertive auditor general, has never been shy about naming names...
Jun 21 , 2025
A well-worn adage says, “Budget is not destiny, but it is direction.” Examining t...
Jul 13 , 2025 . By YITBAREK GETACHEW
The Addis Abeba City Revenue Bureau has introduced a new directive set to reshape how...
Jul 13 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Addis Abeba has approved a record 350 billion Br budget for the 2025/26 fiscal year,...
Jul 13 , 2025 . By RUTH BERHANU
The Addis Abeba Revenue Bureau has scrapped a value-added tax (VAT) on unprocessed ve...
Jul 13 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE
Federal lawmakers have finally brought closure to a protracted and contentious tax de...