Ethiopia's opposition brace for ruling party election landslide

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Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa on May 13, 2026. [AFP]

Ethiopian opposition parties go into elections on June 1, facing threats, insurgencies, near-total state control of the media, and what they see as a pre-determined victory for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

When Abiy came to power in 2018, the first signs were encouraging. He released opposition members and journalists and resolved tensions with neighbouring Eritrea, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

But that gave way to mounting repression and what has effectively become a one-party state.