Addis Ababa, October 31, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has described military training as an important means of equipping government leaders with the discipline, skills, and sense of responsibility needed to advance Ethiopia’s national development and civilization-building ambitions, after joining senior officials of the Medemer Government for military training exercises at the Hurso military training center today.
In a social media post following the engagement, the Prime Minister emphasized that realizing Ethiopia’s civilizational ambitions requires comprehensive prosperity encompassing material and spiritual well-being, as well as cultural and moral development.
He noted that achieving such prosperity depends on leadership that is physically fit, morally strong, intellectually capable, and wise, guided by patriotism and a strong sense of responsibility toward the public.
Abiy explained that military science, experience, and practice offer valuable lessons in shaping character, developing discipline, and preparing individuals to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. He said military training has historically helped cultivate leaders by strengthening physical and mental resilience, ethical conduct, and the ability to translate objectives into action.
Among the values civilian leaders can draw from military experience, he highlighted effective execution of duties, patriotic service, work discipline, collective achievement, constant readiness, leadership development through established hierarchies, responsibility, accountability, and coordination across all levels.
The Prime Minister said senior officials of the Medemer Government are receiving training at Hurso to acquire knowledge, skills, and experience that can contribute to implementing the grand strategy of the Medemer civilization.
He identified several areas in which military training could help advance this strategy, including developing a common understanding among leaders, making effective use of the country’s environment and resources, continually preparing the public to pursue shared objectives, and fulfilling commitments made to citizens.
He also stressed the importance of aligning administrative structures at every level with national priorities, exercising leadership as a public trust, building a resilient nation that cannot be intimidated, cultivating future generations of leaders, and ensuring national security at all times.
According to Abiy, military training can help government leaders better understand these strategic priorities and strengthen their capacity to put them into practice.
Drawing a distinction between military and civilian responsibilities, he observed that soldiers work toward specific targets, while civilians pursue broader objectives. Despite this difference, he said, both disciplines ultimately aim to achieve success.
The Prime Minister concluded that combining the precision and discipline associated with military service with the broader purpose of civilian leadership would help cultivate a generation capable of achieving both defined targets and wider national objectives.