Boot camp for the cabinet: PM takes ministers down for push-ups

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has taken his cabinet ministers and other senior officials for military training at the 'Hurso' training center, aiming to instill military discipline and shape determined leadership. The move was revealed in footage he uploaded to social media, against the backdrop of internal security crises and tensions with Eritrea.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has taken his cabinet ministers and other senior government officials for military training at the 'Hurso' training center. The unusual move was revealed in footage uploaded by the prime minister to social media over the weekend, showing him participating in exercises alongside ministers, their deputies, and agency heads. Among the senior participants, according to a BBC report, are Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa, Health Minister Mekdes Daba, and the Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament, Muferiat Kamil. Abiy explained that the goal is to instill military discipline in decision-makers, which he believes will help shape determined leadership and contribute to Ethiopia's development. He wrote that the military system is a school for values such as teamwork, patriotism, taking responsibility, and leadership. The training series comes amid internal and external security crises: fighting in the Tigray region, conflicts in Amhara, unrest in Oromia, and high tensions with Eritrea.