I was surprised but not entirely shocked to receive this certificate of appreciation signed by the President of Ethiopia, H.E. Taye Atske Selassie.

I was one of the very few Americans, and the most vociferous, in defending the sovereignty of Ethiopia from the regime change attempt by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in their war against the nation-state of Ethiopia, from November 2020 to November 2022. I put my personal reputation on the line, and placed myself in opposition to my own government, who made known to me  their disapproval of my actions. Defending Ethiopian sovereignty from an ethnic nationalist militia that was trying to remove the elected government of Ethiopia, was not a difficult decision for me, it was almost instinctive.

I have been involved in analyzing the political economies of African nations for almost four decades and have developed an extremely sensitive “political nose” if you will, to operations to destabilize and overthrow African nations. I knew in days, with certainty, that the TPLF initiated war, was part of a larger political operation, supported by the Western nations including the United States, to weaken and potentially remove, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from power. I never wavered in my support of the nation-state of Ethiopia during the war, and have remained steadfast today, while others have deserted the defense of Ethiopia.

What Caused Me to Act?

For me, the actions of a government to develop its economy, by investing in infrastructure, and the expansion of its manufacturing and agricultural sectors are of extreme significance in determining its viability. I decided in 2010, to begin a more serious analysis of Ethiopia and its political economy. This led me to investigate its policies over previous decades and its plans for its future development. I published my analysis of Ethiopia’s commitment to economic growth on my website. My first visit to Ethiopia was in 2014, following three days of meetings in N’Djamena, Chad, where I was appointed the Vice Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Since then, I have visited Ethiopia many times, often in defiance of the U.S. government, that was ordering Americans to leave Addis Ababa in 2021, offering to purchase tickets for their departure.

I was, and am aware today of the challenges in Ethiopia, especially the dangerous escalation of ethnic nationalism. However, it  is Ethiopia’s overall commitment to progress, that surpasses that of other African nations, which has steered me to defend Ethiopia’s sovereignty. My awareness of Ethiopia’s intent to initiate the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), reinforced my views of Ethiopia’s commitment to the future. I supported the building of the GERD early on because of its importance in bringing electricity to this African nation and its neighbors to power their economies and people. I know very well that Africa’s huge deficit in electricity is killing Africans everyday across the continent. Subsequently, I visited the GERD twice and participated in the book launch of the most complete history of the GERD.* The GERD remains today, the most significant accomplishment in sub-Saharan Africa since the liberation movement freed African nations from British Imperialism. This fantastic water infrastructure project, has the potential to provide African nations with 5,150 megawatts of electrical power, dwarfing any other energy source on the continent.

The author standing in front of five of the thirteen completed waterways that deliver the water to the turbines.

The Ethiopians began planning for this magnificent dam in the 1960s, under the leadership of Emperor Haile Salaisse. Sixty years before the GERD was to begin operations, Ethiopia envisioned capturing the energy of the Blue Nile flowing down from lake Tana. Thus far, it is a singular accomplishment in Africa, by the Ethiopian people. Currently plans exist by Ethiopia to exploit the water rich Blue Nile Basin with the construction of additional water infrastructure projects.

After reading the history of the Ethiopia’s defeat of the Italian army on the battlefield of Adwa, on March 1st, 1896, I recognized the impetus for the bold thinking of the people of Ethiopia, to build this massive dam more than a century later. Ethiopia free from having never experiencing the shackles of colonialism, had higher aspirations for their nation’s future.

How DID I Know?

While western governments, international and regional media  predicted that Ethiopia would collapse when the TPLF was marching south towards Addis Ababa; I knew that the Ethiopian people would not allow this to occur. Furthermore, I understood these false predictions  as a form of psychological warfare to defeat the Ethiopian people. I stood virtually alone as a Westerner in my knowledge of the resilience and patriotism of the Ethiopian people. Addis Ababa was not invaded, Ethiopia did not fall, and the TPLF were forced to surrender.  I was right. All my former and current colleagues and friends, and those who claim to know how geopolitical forces operate in Africa, who ridiculed me for my position in defense of Ethiopia, turned out to be dead wrong. How did I know?

I have trained myself to think differently. I’ve trained myself to withstand the force of public opinion, ridicule, and peer group pressure. I am able to reach a conclusion through the reasoning of my mind, founded on my knowledge of the people, the history of a nation, and the geopolitical intent of the West’s rules-based order. My actions are guided by decisions informed by reason, from which I will not waver unless persuaded by superior reasoning. This is what makes me valuable as an analyst and consultant, together with my expertise as a physical economist. Some countries, institutions, and thoughtful individuals recognize and appreciate my unique qualities, and thus are willing to collaborate with me.  Others who are less thoughtful, do not.

*How this Happened: Demystifying The Nile, History and Events Leading to the Realization of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, by Dereje Befekadu Tessema

Read below my earlier posts on this topic:

Completed Ethiopia Dam-GERD Can Power East African Nations

New Book on Ethiopia’s GERD: Historical Battle of the Nile-Colonialism vs Development

Freeman Speaks On The GERD: An Engineering Marvel-A Necessity For The Nile River Basin

Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for 35 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, consultant on Africa, and an analyst of global strategic relations. Mr. Freeman strongly believes that economic development is an essential human right. He is the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com, also publishes on: lawrencefreeman.substack.com, “Freeman’s Africa and the World, and on X @lkfreemansafrica