Premier extends best wishes on 18th Nationalities & Peoples Day

Adds Ababa, December 8, 2023 (FBC) – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has extended his best wishes to all Ethiopians on the 18th Ethiopian Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Day.

The 18th Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Day (Ethiopianness Day) is being celebrated under the theme “Diversity and Equality for National Unity” in Jigjiga, capital of Somali Region.

In his message, the Prime Minister expressed his firm belief that the celebration will help build a shared narrative of national unity.

Ethiopianness means a national identity centered on multi-national unity, he underscored.

Ethiopianness accepts the diversity of nations, nationalities and peoples and   recognizes the strong synergy that has been binding Ethiopians for generations.

The PM stressed that it is a path through which we can get away from the single narrative built on nationalism intent on dividing and weakening the country.

It is a governing narrative that enables to build one political and economic community which firmly placed on a constitutional system by amplifying our social history instead of our political history, focusing on today’s and tomorrow’s opportunities rather than in the past, he elaborated.

For him, the originators and owners of a national narrative are nations and nationalities.

So, the idea is to strengthen the sacrifices made by the Ethiopian nations and nationalities for their common destiny, regardless of hardships and challenges.

There are no people who did not build Ethiopia and not paid sacrifice for the country, Abiy underlined.

Therefore, all nations and nationalities have the right to live in freedom, justice, and equality in the country they built and paid sacrifice for.

They have also the obligation to free Ethiopia from beggary and lay foundation for prosperity.

As the theme of the day clearly states this is a celebration of Ethiopianness, the PM wrote, adding that he believes that the day will be celebrated in this spirit.