Ethiopia is exposed

[Idilinaa]

What you mean they cook their books? Like eating them

It's a figure of expression, it's means they use accounting tricks to make it look more profitable.

Cook the books is a slang term for using accounting tricks to make a company's financial results look better than they really are. Typically, cooking the books involves manipulating financial data to inflate a company's revenue, deflate expenses, and pump up profit.

I think Kenya's GDP numbers and agricultural output are more accurate.

@Rayaale i don't think they cook their books to the same level as Ethiopia and it has other productive sectors that bring in revenue so they don't have to rely on inflating agricultural production numbers.

But there was a massive scandal around fake fertilizers and seeds.

 

[Rayaale]

What you mean they cook their books? Like eating them

They overinflate their gdp, the average Kenyan is much poorer than a Somali

 

[novanova]

Ethiopia never modernized socially or politically, its ruling elite continues to act like medieval lords, while the people remain in poverty

Even today, Ethiopia's rural areas function like feudal villages, with landless peasants controlled by government-backed elites.

 

[Aurelian]

View attachment 357099

Yikes! This is not even the average teaching job as a lecturer, but the 2nd highest teaching profession. Professorship which should actually come with a much higher wage.

The average professor/lecturer salary in Somalia is like $76 500 a year which is $6,250 monthly. Teachers job seems to between 1k-3000 monthly based on the aggregated job listings put out by the various universities and highschools.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/somalia-teacher-salary-SRCH_IL.0,7_IN218_KO8,15.htm

Its even worse when you think about the rising inflation numbers in Ethiopia that make every thing more expensive from housing, rent and food prices. Fried economy, low wages and high prices.

Price instability rocks Ethiopia as it reels from foreign exchange rate reforms

The prices on the menu have been erased at a small hotel in a suburb of Ethiopia’s capital. That was no mistake, the waiters said, as businesses in Addis Ababa struggle to keep up with spiraling inflation since the government implemented a flexible exchange rate policy late last month.

apnews.com

Ethiopia's inflation squeezes family budgets as food prices rise | Context by TRF

The rising cost of household staples from teff flour to baby formula is forcing Ethiopian families to cut back on extras

www.context.news

Rising costs push a blind couple out of Ethiopia’s middle class

How a visually impaired social worker in Addis Ababa manages the rising cost of living for his household of five.

www.aljazeera.com

Salaries of assistance that high in Africa? In Finland it could around 2000-3000€.

 

[Burqad]

What you mean they cook their books? Like eating them

[ cook the books ] always refers to some kind of false accounting - keeping records that are not true, e.g. company accounts, expenses claimed, hours worked, distances traveled, etc.

If someone has [ cooked the books ] they have NOT simply told lies; they have produced false records of something, usually financial but not always.

 

[Idilinaa]

Salaries of assistance that high in Africa? In Finland it could around 2000-3000€.

My guess is that it's because Finland's education system is state-run, meaning salaries are standardized and taxed heavily. They in reality earn a lot more but taxation takes a chunk of their money.

Somalia’s higher salaries for professors come from private universities competing for talent, not government pay. I might be the same with Uganda i haven't looked to deeply into it. They don't get taxed and they have to pay out of pocket for services that are public or free in Finland (if the private universities/schools don't provide it for them). If you judge by pure salary terms it is similar or above , but in adjusted purchasing power, Finland still offers a more stable, structured academic career.

Private universities dominate in Somalia . Unlike Ethiopia, where universities are state-funded, Somalia's education sector is privately run. Private institutions often pay competitive salaries to attract qualified professionals.

It also Diaspora-driven education sector . Many Somali universities were established by the diaspora, who bring in international funding and higher salary standards.

Cost of living differences , While Somalia has a growing economy, Ethiopia’s inflation is destroying purchasing power, making salaries there worth even less.

Djibouti is similar i can tell from the joblistings online

The salary for physics teacher in a local private school. It is 2500 USD a month.

Physics Teacher - Djibouti AFRICA, Permanent job in Djibouti

Physics Teacher | Teach in Africa | Teach in Djibouti Are you looking to explore amazing teaching opportunities overseas ? Search no more ,this wonderful oppo

www.seekteachers.com

All of them seem to offer a salary up 2500 USD.

Permanent Teaching Jobs in Djibouti

Permanent Teaching Jobs in Djibouti Apply now for international schools jobs and start teaching abroad with overseas adventure.

www.seekteachers.com

 

[Idilinaa]

View attachment 357186
View attachment 357187

View attachment 357188

I just noticed it said "Their chief object is to aggrandize themselves" explaining how Ethiopian political leaders behaved over 500 years ago.

This is exactly what i said before you drooped it:

When your own state leader engages in plagiarism and accepts fake doctorate degrees to boost his legitimacy in the eyes of the public it exposes something very problematic. A deep rooted culture of deception and self-delusion in Ethiopia's ruling class.

The importance put on projecting a positive image, obsession with external reputation management and self aggrandizement that evades substantive actions, work to improve or solve problems. Instead of solving real economic, educational, and governance problems, they focus on manufacturing a fake image to impress outsiders.

He calls it "Monstrous kind of Monarchy, and to this are owing continual wars and rebellions, " and describes it as quite lawless and that the kings and his circle control the lives and property and prevent them from progress.

It kinda is similar to the Eqyptian visitor described Ethiopia in early 1900s.

I explained to @Zak12 what was keeping Ethiopia back

The problem with Ethiopia, they are stuck in the past. Every other country and region on earth Japan, Europe, China etc moved away from their feudal structure and challenged it outright, they are no longer warring neighbors trying to dominate one another and oppress their citizens as peasants beneath them. They fully understood that it is more beneficial to work with one another and respect each others territorial integrity and focus on trade and industrial development.

For 1000 years Ethiopia has kept up the same policy and direction, and all it's led to is political turmoil and regional instability.

It's also why it's economically destitute country as well. It's not simply because they are landlocked. Even today, successful landlocked nations like Switzerland and Luxembourg prove that geographic constraints can be overcome.

Ethiopia’s lack of economic progress is more linked to internal policies, feudal structures, and poor diplomatic relations with neighbors than its landlocked status.

West/Europeans are partly complicit in enabling and supporting this, their constant propping up of them prevents them from forming self-examination and re-structuring and allying them against Somalis

 

[RiceMuncher]

Power outage for a fifth day in whole of eastern Etio

Power outage leaves Jigjiga and eastern Ethiopia

 

[novanova]

Power outage for a fifth day in whole of eastern Etio

Power outage leaves Jigjiga and eastern Ethiopia

The outage, which has affected Jigjiga, Harar, Dirirdhabe, Fiiq, and Dhagaxbuur, began after seven key transmission towers collapsed near the town of Awash. Local authorities say the towers—critical to transporting power from Ethiopia’s central and western regions—had been severely weakened by repeated metal theft before heavy rains and wind caused their collapse.

Gaajo ass country

 

[Burqad]

Power outage for a fifth day in whole of eastern Etio

Power outage leaves Jigjiga and eastern Ethiopia

You mean western Somali

 

[Flightboi]

The outage, which has affected Jigjiga, Harar, Dirirdhabe, Fiiq, and Dhagaxbuur, began after seven key transmission towers collapsed near the town of Awash. Local authorities say the towers—critical to transporting power from Ethiopia’s central and western regions—had been severely weakened by repeated metal theft before heavy rains and wind caused their collapse.

Gaajo ass country

How are they stealing the metal without getting fried by the electricity?

 

[Burqad]

How are they stealing the metal without getting fried by the electricity?

In Kenya they even steal the oil from the electric transformers and fry food in that

Kenya power shortages

Vandals smash electrical transformers to steal viscous fluid that’s later sold as cooking oil for roadside stalls.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[NidarNidar]

In Kenya they even steal the oil from the electric transformers and fry food in that

Kenya power shortages

Vandals smash electrical transformers to steal viscous fluid that’s later sold as cooking oil for roadside stalls.

www.aljazeera.com

I've never heard this happening in FGS, SL or PL.

 

[Midas]

One thing Ethiopia is not wrong about is that them not having a single port does have a huge affect on their economy. It's expensive and time consuming to import anything in to Ethiopia. Especially when you factor in as a mountainous country how bad their road infrastructure must be and the costs must sky rocket. Even before abiy took over they had huge shortages on stuff even as simple as paper .

I think somalis underestimate how cheap stuff is for us because we have 4 ports and all of the big cities in somalia are either ports or not very far from them. I wouldn't be surprised if our prices were several times cheaper becuase of all of this. (Honestly this is probably a huge part of why local somali development has been successful )

You also have to realize how considering how poor the avg african is unless you have a large city (1 million +) your not gonna have a large enough market for trade or anything else to develop. This probably applies even more to Ethiopia where the barrier is much higher.

 

[Flightboi]

In Kenya they even steal the oil from the electric transformers and fry food in that

Kenya power shortages

Vandals smash electrical transformers to steal viscous fluid that’s later sold as cooking oil for roadside stalls.

www.aljazeera.com

They are actually poisoning themselves as that ain't actual real cooking oil.

 

[Idilinaa]

The outage, which has affected Jigjiga, Harar, Dirirdhabe, Fiiq, and Dhagaxbuur, began after seven key transmission towers collapsed near the town of Awash. Local authorities say the towers—critical to transporting power from Ethiopia’s central and western regions—had been severely weakened by repeated metal theft before heavy rains and wind caused their collapse.

Gaajo ass country

In Kenya they even steal the oil from the electric transformers and fry food in that

Kenya power shortages

Vandals smash electrical transformers to steal viscous fluid that’s later sold as cooking oil for roadside stalls.

www.aljazeera.com

They do the same in South Africa , they steal copper wires and metals from electrical cables from street lights and power generators to later resell it.

I've never heard this happening in FGS, SL or PL.

You don't see this at all in Somalia, it comes from extreme poverty induced desperation among other things.

I explained my observations how people will infer Somalia to be poor but it doesn't follow the patterns of mass poverty you find in many places.

Another thing to point out. Countries with mass poverty have mass crime, Somalia does not follow this pattern.

While Somalia faces challenges like political instability and terrorism (Al-Shabaab), it does not experience the kind of mass street crime, gang violence, robbery and lawlessness seen in other poor countries.

- In many African and Latin American countries, poverty leads to high crime (robbery, gang violence, kidnappings).

- In Somalia, strong clan-based support systems reduce desperation-driven crime—people turn to family, clan, or community for help instead of resorting to theft.

- This prevents mass homelessness, slums, and urban crime seen in places like Nigeria, South Africa, or Brazil.

Somalis have a culture of social responsibility people take care of their own.

Unlike countries with widespread petty crime (pickpocketing, muggings, scams),

-Somalis rely on trust-based business practices. Honor and reputation matter—in Somali society, being caught stealing can damage your status permanently.

This discourages casual crime, even among the poor.


Unlike heavily government-reliant economies, Somalia has a thriving private sector that gives people opportunities to make money.

- Self-employment and small businesses are widespread—many people survive through trade, rather than resorting to crime.

- In contrast, places like South Africa or Haiti have high unemployment, leading young people into crime.

When people have ways to make a living, they don’t need to steal.

Crime in Somalia is Political/Terror-Related, Not Street Crime​

Most crime in Somalia is linked to Al-Shabaab, political violence, or land disputes not random street violence.

In many poor countries, tourists and foreigners are common robbery targets—in Somalia, the main risks are political instability, not street-level criminals.

Even the poorest parts of Mogadishu are safer than slums in South Africa, Brazil, or Kenya when it comes to violent robberies.

Somalia has violence, but it’s not the kind of crime linked to poverty-driven desperation.

 

[Idilinaa]

One thing Ethiopia is not wrong about is that them not having a single port does have a huge affect on their economy. It's expensive and time consuming to import anything in to Ethiopia. Especially when you factor in as a mountainous country how bad their road infrastructure must be and the costs must sky rocket. Even before abiy took over they had huge shortages on stuff even as simple as paper .

I think somalis underestimate how cheap stuff is for us because we have 4 ports and all of the big cities in somalia are either ports or not very far from them. I wouldn't be surprised if our prices were several times cheaper becuase of all of this. (Honestly this is probably a huge part of why local somali development has been successful )

You also have to realize how considering how poor the avg african is unless you have a large city (1 million +) your not gonna have a large enough market for trade or anything else to develop. This probably applies even more to Ethiopia where the barrier is much higher.

You raise some valid about Ethiopia’s logistical challenges due to its landlocked status. It’s true that not having direct port access significantly raises the cost of imports and exports, making everything more expensive for consumers and businesses. Ethiopia has to rely on Djibouti (and to some extent Berbera and Sudanese ports), adding extra transit costs, bureaucracy, and vulnerability to geopolitical tensions.

But the key issue is not only that they are landlocked. it’s the combination of poor internal infrastructure, inefficient governance, and economic mismanagement. Successful landlocked nations like Switzerland and Luxembourg thrive because they have:

- Highly developed road and rail networks – This allows seamless transport of goods despite lacking a coastline.

- Advanced industrial and service sectors – They don’t rely on importing everything; they produce high-value exports

- Strong diplomatic and trade relations – They integrate into regional and global trade networks, reducing barriers

Ethiopia, by contrast, has:

- Poor road and rail infrastructure – Despite some new investments like the Djibouti railway, much of the country lacks reliable transport links

- Bureaucratic inefficiencies and corruption – Importing and exporting take too long due to red tape.

- Overreliance on agriculture – Instead of developing industries that require fewer logistics costs, they remain stuck with bulky, low-margin exports like coffee.

Basically what i am getting at is that port access matters, but internal economic policies, infrastructure, and governance matter even more.

Also what i said about Ethiopia’s feudal mindset is also important. They still operate with a centralized, hierarchical power structure that hasn’t adapted to modern economic realities.

While other nations have transitioned towards free markets, industrialization, and regional cooperation, Ethiopia is still engaging in geopolitical struggles over port access instead of focusing on internal economic reforms.

Whereas Somalia’s trade-driven economy is more resilient not only because of its access to ports but also it's decentralized, business-friendly environment.

 

[novanova]

You raise some valid about Ethiopia’s logistical challenges due to its landlocked status. It’s true that not having direct port access significantly raises the cost of imports and exports, making everything more expensive for consumers and businesses. Ethiopia has to rely on Djibouti (and to some extent Berbera and Sudanese ports), adding extra transit costs, bureaucracy, and vulnerability to geopolitical tensions.

But the key issue is not only that they are landlocked. it’s the combination of poor internal infrastructure, inefficient governance, and economic mismanagement. Successful landlocked nations like Switzerland and Luxembourg thrive because they have:

- Highly developed road and rail networks – This allows seamless transport of goods despite lacking a coastline.

- Advanced industrial and service sectors – They don’t rely on importing everything; they produce high-value exports

- Strong diplomatic and trade relations – They integrate into regional and global trade networks, reducing barriers

Ethiopia, by contrast, has:

- Poor road and rail infrastructure – Despite some new investments like the Djibouti railway, much of the country lacks reliable transport links

- Bureaucratic inefficiencies and corruption – Importing and exporting take too long due to red tape.

- Overreliance on agriculture – Instead of developing industries that require fewer logistics costs, they remain stuck with bulky, low-margin exports like coffee.

Basically what i am getting at is that port access matters, but internal economic policies, infrastructure, and governance matter even more.

Also what i said about Ethiopia’s feudal mindset is als important. They still operate with a centralized, hierarchical power structure that hasn’t adapted to modern economic realities.

While other nations have transitioned towards free markets, industrialization, and regional cooperation, Ethiopia is still engaging in geopolitical struggles over port access instead of focusing on internal economic reforms.

Whereas Somalia’s trade-driven economy is more resilient not only because of its access to ports but also it's decentralized, business-friendly environment.

Read this account of ethiopians:

I really think all of their misfortune comes down to their greed. Stealing from their peasants, looking to take the lands of their neighbours. Wa dad gaajo badan & xaasid ah. Had they left somalis and their lands alone (& the eritreans), allowed those lands to recover & focus on rebuilding themselves instead of dragging them into never-ending wars & disrupting their political process with the help of their western allies, they would have had neighbours they could trade with

 

[Midas]

You raise some valid about Ethiopia’s logistical challenges due to its landlocked status. It’s true that not having direct port access significantly raises the cost of imports and exports, making everything more expensive for consumers and businesses. Ethiopia has to rely on Djibouti (and to some extent Berbera and Sudanese ports), adding extra transit costs, bureaucracy, and vulnerability to geopolitical tensions.

But the key issue is not only that they are landlocked. it’s the combination of poor internal infrastructure, inefficient governance, and economic mismanagement. Successful landlocked nations like Switzerland and Luxembourg thrive because they have:

- Highly developed road and rail networks – This allows seamless transport of goods despite lacking a coastline.

- Advanced industrial and service sectors – They don’t rely on importing everything; they produce high-value exports

- Strong diplomatic and trade relations – They integrate into regional and global trade networks, reducing barriers

Ethiopia, by contrast, has:

- Poor road and rail infrastructure – Despite some new investments like the Djibouti railway, much of the country lacks reliable transport links

- Bureaucratic inefficiencies and corruption – Importing and exporting take too long due to red tape.

- Overreliance on agriculture – Instead of developing industries that require fewer logistics costs, they remain stuck with bulky, low-margin exports like coffee.

Basically what i am getting at is that port access matters, but internal economic policies, infrastructure, and governance matter even more.

Also what i said about Ethiopia’s feudal mindset is also important. They still operate with a centralized, hierarchical power structure that hasn’t adapted to modern economic realities.

While other nations have transitioned towards free markets, industrialization, and regional cooperation, Ethiopia is still engaging in geopolitical struggles over port access instead of focusing on internal economic reforms.

Whereas Somalia’s trade-driven economy is more resilient not only because of its access to ports but also it's decentralized, business-friendly environment.

I think internal reform is important but they are cursed in a way by geography that we dont fully appreciate. Even getting a port won't really improve that. Since even assab is extermely far from the rest of ethiopia.

It all started to click for me when I realized that african countries don't have the expertise or technology to produce a lot of modern goods At a high enough quality so normally they export it. But importing anything for ethiopia is diffcult because of
1) distance- even assab is incredibly far from the rest of ethiopia
2) terrain- you can only transport goods by truck and since the countey is extremly mountainous and they also dont have very good roads. You can imagine how difficult this must be compared to somalia's flat terrain
2) pouplation density- 75-80 % of Ethiopias pouplation is rural . Imagine you finally imported some product into the country but most of your potenial customers base doesn't live in a city so you can't reduce cost by buying in bulk.

When you combine this together you start to get a picture of how huge the the challenges are. It's also noticeable when you look closely at certain signs. For example when I see a lot of the amahric books on sale online. They have this used look to them.( This makes sense if paper is difficult to get ahold of) . The implications of this are incredible when you apply it to all of the hypothetical goods and services they need.

 

[Idilinaa]

Read this account of ethiopians:

View attachment 358041View attachment 358042

I really think all of their misfortune comes down to their greed. Stealing from their peasants, looking to take the lands of their neighbours. Wa dad gaajo badan & xaasid ah. Had they left somalis and their lands alone (& the eritreans), allowed those lands to recover & focus on rebuilding themselves instead of dragging them into never-ending wars & disrupting their political process with the help of their western allies, they would have had neighbours they could trade with

That account lays it out all out, damn what an eye opener. @Midas @Shimbiris @Zak12 @Galool @X29 @NidarNidar read this too.

It lays the fault solely with Ethiopia(Abyssinia) and they are either impeding or undoing the progress in the region and are chief instigators. It says " a "violent desire of a barbarous people" to seize wealth that Adel had gained through trade and industry"

It also notes Awdals retaliation was brutal and strategic often taking Abyssinians slaves latter selling them as high value merchandise because unlike Adalites they didn't have any valuable goods or domestic manufactured products so there was not much else to take as a spoil of war.

The text notes a grim irony: Abyssinian slaves were often "idle warmongers," so their removal inadvertently reduced conflict.

It also gives the example that when Ethiopia is peaceful and cooperates with it's neighbors like Awdal they grows rich and prosperous because they benefited through Awdal's trade networks((gold, cattle, hide, all manners of provisions, coffee). War disrupted this, replacing mutual gain with zero-sum plunder.

What it also says is that "The Abyssinian elite’s corruption (accepting bribes to tolerate peace) undermined long-term stability for short-term wealth" .

It also shows how Awdal was commercial in nature driven by peaceful diplomatic trade agreements with Arabia, India and economic integration through trade and industry. As it say they formed "Three partners united one trade"

It narrates it from the perspective of a Muslim(Moorish) princess married into Abyssinian (Ethiopian) royalty. Helena saw both sides. She blamed Abyssinia’s warlike culture for rejecting peace, even when it was in their interest. Her efforts failed because Abyssinian elites preferred raiding over diplomacy, despite knowing the benefits of trade.

I transcribed it into readable modern English:

Besides the duty of governing, another motive influenced her, which, however good in itself, was very problematic given the present circumstances. A peace with Adel was what the Empress Helena consistently desired, for she could not bear to see the destruction of her own country, much less contribute to it. She herself was of Moorish origin, the daughter of Mahomet, the governor of Dawaro for the king. Even during her husband's reign, she had been suspected of favoring the welfare of her homeland over that of the kingdom of Abyssinia.

Thus, this princess, thoroughly informed about the interests of both nations, seems in her conduct to have acted upon the most judicious and sensible principles. She knew that Adel, by its situation and interests, was inherently commercial. That part of Africa, along with the opposite Arabia and the peninsula of India, formed three partners united in one trade. They mutually consumed each other's produce and contributed to exporting the combined goods of the three regions to distant parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa—the three continents that then constituted the known world. When Adel was at peace with Abyssinia, the latter grew wealthy from the gold, ivory, coffee, cattle, hides, and all manner of provisions procured by Adel from the mountainous regions above it. Trade flourished, and plenty followed. Merchants carried every kind of goods to the most distant provinces in safety, benefiting both Abyssinia and Adel equally.

These advantages, so keenly felt, were maintained by bribery and a steady flow of Mahometan gold in the Abyssinian court. The kingdom, however, prospered under these conditions. On the other hand, war with Adel arose from the violent desire of a barbarous people, such as the Abyssinians were, to seize riches their neighbors had gained through trade and industry.

She saw that even in the worst-case scenario, nothing utterly destructive could happen to the Abyssinians. In their raids into Adel, they plundered markets and obtained Indian goods of every kind at the risk of their lives—goods they would otherwise have paid for. Conversely, when the people of Adel were victorious, they acquired no goods or manufactures but took the Abyssinians themselves as slaves, selling them in Arabia and across Asia at immense profits. Next to gold, slaves were the most agreeable and valuable merchandise in the East. And since these slaves were chiefly the idle warmongers, their removal promoted the more desirable outcome of peace.

In this state, war was merely another form of commerce between the two nations, though peace was the most beneficial condition for both. This was what Empress Helena had constantly strived to maintain, though she could not always succeed.