Construction in Kigali, Rwanda, August 2003 (Photo:Sven Torfinn/ Panos Pictures / Redux)

Africa has never been a top priority for the United States. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all launched impactful initiatives there—helping advance trade, health, and energy, among other things—but their administrations devoted only limited, episodic attention to the continent.

In January 2021, the world witnessed a barrage of attacks on Ethiopia aimed at undermining the efforts of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed to preserve the sovereignty of the Ethiopian nation. This is a dangerous gambit not only for the potential harm it can trigger for the people of Ethiopia, but also for the security of the Horn of Africa.

Photo: Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki. (Reuters: Tiksa Negeri)

Some honors come too late; others too early. Others still risk scuttling the efforts they are rewarding.

Last week Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for, the Nobel committee said, “his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea” and starting “important reforms that give many citizens hope for a better life and a brighter future.”

Deliberate Destruction of Museum, Hospitals, Schools, and Hotels. (2)

Haile Selassie The Pillar of a Modern Ethiopia