Berhanu Nega's pursuit of power for conservative values by any means
Posted: 27 Jun 2026, 15:10
1. In the EPRP's 'ye-tateqe Guad or Armed Comrade mission, he helped assassinate intellectual members of AESM(MESON) such as Dr.Fikre Merid who helped shape the direction of the Ethiopian Socialist Revolution as well as youth members of AESM. Any members of EPRP suspected of disloyalty.
2. As a member of the EPRP, he opposed the Land Redistribtion Act of the DERG that abolished feudalism in Ethiopia.
3. In 1994, he returned to Ethiopia and immediately sought to meet with PM Meles Zenawi and the President of Ethiopia who was his classmate at Teferi Mekuanint School, Addis Abeba. Though the discussions he had with them is still unknown, many attribute it to his desire for a political appointment in the TPLF-led Ethiopian gov. Meles did not appoint him to any political office.
4. In 2005, AA electoral district which he ran representing in elections under Qinijit(The Coalition) did not elect him. Overall though, Qinijit won majority of the polls in Addis. Qinijit appointed him as Mayor.
5. He strongly advocated wrongly for the boycott of parliament based on suspecion that EPRDF rigged the election. The right course of action was to gather evidences of election frauds and ask the courts that
suspect electoral results be annulled and recommend new fair elections.
6. He opposed the implementation of the principle of self-determination for the self-governments of each of the Ethiopian nations favoring for a strong central gov such as of Abiy Ahmed's.
7. He opposed offer of education to pupils in their mother tongues in Ethiopian primary schools. Since he has been appointed as MoE, he scrapped education in mother tongues in primary schools throughout Ethiopia.
8. He abolished the affirmative action put in place by EPRDF for rural schools to bridge the achiement gaps between city and rural schools. He also scrapped affirmative action put in place by the EPRDF to lift female students participation in the economy, science and arts of Ethiopia.
9. He abolished prayer grounds allowed by EPRDF for Muslim students in the Ethiopian institutions of education. Disallowed Muslim students to leave class at their own cost to pray for Zuhir(noon prayer), asir(late afternoon prayer and Mehrib( sunset prayer).
10. For the first time in the modrrn education history of Ethiopia he schedulled Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 12 national exams to take place on Muslim holidays of Eidel-fitr end of Ramada holidays and Eid el-Arafa, the Muslim holiday of the Day of Feast. These are national holidays in Ethiopia. But, Berhanu Nega violated the laws that made these holidays national holidays and forced Muslim students to take exams on these Muslim holidays.
11. Under his leadership of the Ethiopian MoE, more than 2/3 of students failed in Grades 6, 8 and 12 national exams. The quality of education went down hills.Teachers salaries were not paid for more than 6 months in some places. Salaries of teachers were not increased. University lecturers were threatened with dismissal if they were not popular among students.
2. As a member of the EPRP, he opposed the Land Redistribtion Act of the DERG that abolished feudalism in Ethiopia.
3. In 1994, he returned to Ethiopia and immediately sought to meet with PM Meles Zenawi and the President of Ethiopia who was his classmate at Teferi Mekuanint School, Addis Abeba. Though the discussions he had with them is still unknown, many attribute it to his desire for a political appointment in the TPLF-led Ethiopian gov. Meles did not appoint him to any political office.
4. In 2005, AA electoral district which he ran representing in elections under Qinijit(The Coalition) did not elect him. Overall though, Qinijit won majority of the polls in Addis. Qinijit appointed him as Mayor.
5. He strongly advocated wrongly for the boycott of parliament based on suspecion that EPRDF rigged the election. The right course of action was to gather evidences of election frauds and ask the courts that
suspect electoral results be annulled and recommend new fair elections.
6. He opposed the implementation of the principle of self-determination for the self-governments of each of the Ethiopian nations favoring for a strong central gov such as of Abiy Ahmed's.
7. He opposed offer of education to pupils in their mother tongues in Ethiopian primary schools. Since he has been appointed as MoE, he scrapped education in mother tongues in primary schools throughout Ethiopia.
8. He abolished the affirmative action put in place by EPRDF for rural schools to bridge the achiement gaps between city and rural schools. He also scrapped affirmative action put in place by the EPRDF to lift female students participation in the economy, science and arts of Ethiopia.
9. He abolished prayer grounds allowed by EPRDF for Muslim students in the Ethiopian institutions of education. Disallowed Muslim students to leave class at their own cost to pray for Zuhir(noon prayer), asir(late afternoon prayer and Mehrib( sunset prayer).
10. For the first time in the modrrn education history of Ethiopia he schedulled Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 12 national exams to take place on Muslim holidays of Eidel-fitr end of Ramada holidays and Eid el-Arafa, the Muslim holiday of the Day of Feast. These are national holidays in Ethiopia. But, Berhanu Nega violated the laws that made these holidays national holidays and forced Muslim students to take exams on these Muslim holidays.
11. Under his leadership of the Ethiopian MoE, more than 2/3 of students failed in Grades 6, 8 and 12 national exams. The quality of education went down hills.Teachers salaries were not paid for more than 6 months in some places. Salaries of teachers were not increased. University lecturers were threatened with dismissal if they were not popular among students.