Exclusive: How Workneh is using IGAD for his political ambition

Djibouti based IGAD staff has also told Garowe Online that Mr Workneh has been instructing the office to top up his hospitality fund frequently.

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), executive secretary, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu is reported to have accelerated his ambition to replace Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed who is facing economic and internal revolts.

IGAD’S executive secretary who was Ethiopia’s foreign affairs minister between 2019 and 2019 is reportedly to have double his campaign secretly to evade repercussion from Addis Ababa regime and has been meeting with western diplomats, Ethiopia’s opposition figures and members of the ruling party to discuss his political desire.

Quite a number of Ethiopia elite including Awol Allo - a senior lecture at Sheffield school of law are believed to be working on his campaign. He has been meeting with Ethiopia’s ruling part executive committee members on behalf of Workneh to convince potential reforms while pointing out Abiy’s leadership abrasive and how he (Workneh) can address the internal revolts including the war in Amhara and Oromia regions.

Since when Tigray forces advanced towards the capital, Mr Workneh has been discussing his desire to replace Abiy Ahmed with senior western diplomats.

One diplomat privy to the matter told GO that Mr Workneh had demonstrated how he can puzzle out the crisis in Ethiopia if he’s supported to take over.

“He always point out to poor and the erratic leadership of Abiy as been the cause of the crisis in Ethiopia and hasn’t been hiding his ambition to replace Abiy Ahmed who he sees as a man sitting on a time bomb that will eventually disintegrate Ethiopia, but I pressed him on the need to maintain IGAD’s neutrality as any potential conflict of interest could tarnish the confidence on the regional block he leads”. The diplomat who opted to remain anonymously said. 

According to reliable source, Mr Workneh has told several people that he has done his best to block IGAD being used to condemn recent Ethiopia MoU with Somaliland – an effort some described as a strategy to win the hearts and minds of Ethiopia’s’ ruling party members that could possibly determine his political fate.

Using IGAD hospitality fund for political gain has been a concern to the staff.

Djibouti based IGAD staff has also told Garowe Online that Mr Workneh has been instructing the office to top up his hospitality fund frequently.

“His hospitality fund allocation has increased sharply for the last two years especially for his travel to Nairobi and the region. He has also rented an office space for about 27,000 USD while the building given out by Djibouti government for free as the organisation headquarter is still lying idle”. Anonymous IGAD staff told GO.

Garowe Online has also learnt that Workneh has secretly been meeting with various Ethiopia’s opposition groups in the Kenya capital Nairobi to diversify his campaign Staff at the organisation also observed that he has also aligned the recruitment process with his political ambition.

Mr Workneh who also served as Ethiopia’s Federal police chief during Meles Zenawi tenure was accused of human rights violation. In 2007 report , HRW accused him of killing and detaining hundreds of  protesters who were peacefully protesting.

His human rights records has also led the UN secretary General to silently revoke his appointment as the UN director general office in Nairobi after massive campaign by the right groups.

Workneh led East African block is also facing unprecedented financial and leadership crisis after Sudan and Somalia accused him of disrespecting their sovereignty.

Sudan has even suspended its membership in IGAD while Somalia termed the move by the executive secretary as bias towards Ethiopia. Efforts to get response from Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu didn’t yield fruits.

GAROWE ONLINE