Ethiopia is exposed

@novanova @Aseer @Midas @Barkhadle1520 @Thegoodshepherd

You know the economy is really fried when this happens




Ngl i kinda wish they actually did this with Somalia , instead of accepting half baked data from SBS
View attachment 366597
Yh i just saw that this morning. It was inevitable really. The gap between the reality and the fake numbers was becoming too much. But I didnt expect it too happen this soon or that they would go so far as to say their numbers are complete b.s

Makes me think there was was some kind of internal falling out . Since this is the equivalent of them basically putting up a giant Do Not Invest in ethiopia sign in flashing red lights.
 
Yh i just saw that this morning. It was inevitable really. The gap between the reality and the fake numbers was becoming too much. But I didnt expect it too happen this soon or that they would go so far as to say their numbers are complete b.s

Makes me think there was was some kind of internal falling out . Since this is the equivalent of them basically putting up a giant Do Not Invest in ethiopia sign in flashing red lights.

The only rationale I can conclude from it imo, is that their economy has become so bad and keeps getting worse that it's become much harder to lie about the economic realities.

At some point, the numbers stop lining up and even allies or investors start raising eyebrows. I think they hit that wall where the cost of lying became bigger than just admitting things are falling apart.

@Barkhadle1520 @novanova It's bad yall, what we pointed out doesn't even scratch the surface


You are right about "Do Not invest in Ethiopia" signaling. It looks like they took the call and are leaving in droves.
1752262213043.png
 
The only rationale I can conclude from it imo, is that their economy has become so bad and keeps getting worse that it's become much harder to lie about the economic realities.

At some point, the numbers stop lining up and even allies or investors start raising eyebrows. I think they hit that wall where the cost of lying became bigger than just admitting things are falling apart.

@Barkhadle1520 @novanova It's bad yall, what we pointed out doesn't even scratch the surface


You are right about "Do Not invest in Ethiopia" signaling. It looks like they took the call and are leaving in droves.
View attachment 366601
This is the exact same steps that led to the collapse of the Kacaan regime

✅>Economy starts getting worse
✅>Unemployement starts reaching abnormal levels
✅>The government visibly worsens
✅>People start hating the government
✅>The authoritarian leader refuses to step down
✅>All the bila shaqo people with nothing to lose start forming and joining armed groups
⏳>The economy fully collapses
⏳>Armed groups gain more terrain and the government fully collapses
1752264847904.png
 
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The only rationale I can conclude from it imo, is that their economy has become so bad and keeps getting worse that it's become much harder to lie about the economic realities.

At some point, the numbers stop lining up and even allies or investors start raising eyebrows. I think they hit that wall where the cost of lying became bigger than just admitting things are falling apart.

@Barkhadle1520 @novanova It's bad yall, what we pointed out doesn't even scratch the surface


You are right about "Do Not invest in Ethiopia" signaling. It looks like they took the call and are leaving in droves.
View attachment 366601

Also how tf did they managed to afford a whole light rail system :yloezpe::yloezpe: Am dead as if thats the first thing they need to be worrying about, this resumes the whole country perfectly
1752265142875.png
 
The only rationale I can conclude from it imo, is that their economy has become so bad and keeps getting worse that it's become much harder to lie about the economic realities.

At some point, the numbers stop lining up and even allies or investors start raising eyebrows. I think they hit that wall where the cost of lying became bigger than just admitting things are falling apart.

@Barkhadle1520 @novanova It's bad yall, what we pointed out doesn't even scratch the surface


You are right about "Do Not invest in Ethiopia" signaling. It looks like they took the call and are leaving in droves.
View attachment 366601
Yeah I've been seeing more of these articles. Its just weird considering all the negotiations going on between the imf and Ethiopia. I guess the world bank guys dont care about what the imf guys are doing.
 
This is the exact same steps that led to the collapse of the Kacaan regime

✅>Economy starts getting worse
✅>Unemployement starts reaching abnormal levels
✅>The government visibly worsens
✅>People start hating the government
✅>The authoritarian leader refuses to step down
✅>All the bila shaqo people with nothing to lose start forming and joining armed groups
⏳>The economy fully collapses
⏳>Armed groups gain more terrain and the government fully collapses
View attachment 366607

It’s really not the same at all. Somalia’s collapse was largely driven by outside interference. Ethiopia’s mess right now is entirely self-inflicted.

  • Did Somalia or Eritrea displace a million people into Ethiopia?
  • Did Somalia back armed groups or block Ethiopia from getting weapons?
  • Did anyone isolate them diplomatically? No.... they did all that to themselves.

Also, let’s not rewrite history. Armed opposition groups based in Ethiopia were already active before the economy faced setbacks. And even in the late '80s, Somalia was still growing economically, private businesses were booming, grain production increased, and people had more disposable income.

This is from 1987 Business Magazine
media%2FGlWwRszXMAA8saU.jpg


It says:

''“Private sector activity literally has exploded. New stores are springing up rapidly in most of Somalia's cities and towns; numerous minibuses now operate; and drugstores which numbered only 20 several vears ago now are in the hundreds. Consumer goods are available more readily in greater variety and quantity throughout the country.”


“The response of the Somali economy has been impressive. The dramatic increase in grain production since liberalization of cereals marketing has helped Somalia become self-sufficient in maize and sorghum. Farmer income, based on relative prices of grain and consumer goods, has risen. Urban welfare also has improved as prices for domestic foodstuffs are relatively lower


1752294029779.png


Here it says:

There has been a notable increase in farmer income and there is greater disposable income throughout the economy. Other results of recent reforms include significant increase in private sector investment as a percentage of GDP and corresponding new employment generation.
1752294748344.png


The government made real policy reforms, supported farmers, encouraged private sector growth and tried to adapt , not perfect, but it wasn’t some cartoon villain suppressing everyone for fun.


Ethiopia, on the other hand, keeps repeating the same pattern no matter who’s in power Haile Selassie, Mengistu, TPLF, Abiy it’s the same centralized, rigid feudal structure that never learns or adapts. Their current collapse isn’t surprising, it’s baked into the system.


People who reduce everything to one Somali leader who died 30 years ago aren’t serious, they’re just stuck in grievance politics.
 
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It’s really not the same at all. Somalia’s collapse was largely driven by outside interference. Ethiopia’s mess right now is entirely self-inflicted.

  • Did Somalia or Eritrea displace a million people into Ethiopia?
  • Did Somalia back armed groups or block Ethiopia from getting weapons?
  • Did anyone isolate them diplomatically? No.... they did all that to themselves.

Also, let’s not rewrite history. Armed opposition groups based in Ethiopia were already active before the economy faced setbacks. And even in the late '80s, Somalia was still growing economically, private businesses were booming, grain production increased, and people had more disposable income.

This is from 1987 Business Magazine
media%2FGlWwRszXMAA8saU.jpg


It says:

''“Private sector activity literally has exploded. New stores are springing up rapidly in most of Somalia's cities and towns; numerous minibuses now operate; and drugstores which numbered only 20 several vears ago now are in the hundreds. Consumer goods are available more readily in greater variety and quantity throughout the country.”


“The response of the Somali economy has been impressive. The dramatic increase in grain production since liberalization of cereals marketing has helped Somalia become self-sufficient in maize and sorghum. Farmer income, based on relative prices of grain and consumer goods, has risen. Urban welfare also has improved as prices for domestic foodstuffs are relatively lower


View attachment 366634

Here it says:

There has been a notable increase in farmer income and there is greater disposable income throughout the economy. Other results of recent reforms include significant increase in private sector investment as a percentage of GDP and corresponding new employment generation.
View attachment 366635

The government made real policy reforms, supported farmers, encouraged private sector growth and tried to adapt , not perfect, but it wasn’t some cartoon villain suppressing everyone for fun.


Ethiopia, on the other hand, keeps repeating the same pattern no matter who’s in power Haile Selassie, Mengistu, TPLF, Abiy it’s the same centralized, rigid feudal structure that never learns or adapts. Their current collapse isn’t surprising, it’s baked into the system.


People who reduce everything to one Somali leader who died 30 years ago aren’t serious, they’re just stuck in grievance politics.
Wasn't Somalia's economy knee capped by predatory IMF loans and rising debt from the failed Ogaden War? I'm not saying some form of growth wasn't happening but Somalia was doing pretty bad, especially in the 80s.



GDP per capita takes a massive nosedive after 1977


RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS: SOMALIA'S OVERALL ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE HAS DETERIORATED BADLY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS AS A SERIES OF BLOWS TO ITS EXTERNAL ACCOUNT HAVE COMBINED WITH BURGEONING FISCAL DEFICITS TO RECREATE THE LOW GROWTH, HIGH INFLATION ENVIRONMENT THAT HAD PREVAILED IN THE LATE 1970S. WITH EXPORT EARNINGS CUT TO LESS THAN HALF THEIR 1982 LEVEL (LARGELY AS A RESULT OF SAUDI ARABIA'S 1983 BAN ON CATTLE IMPORTS FROM AFRICA) AND FOREIGN AID FINANCING DOWN 18 PERCENT FROM ITS 1982 PEAK, SOMALIA CLOSED 1984 WITH ITS SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE OVERALL BALANCE OF PAYMENTS DEFICIT, A NEGATIVE NET FOREIGN ASSETS POSITION AND GROSS FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES EQUAL TO BARELY SIX WEEKS OF CASH FINANCED IMPORTS.

PARALLELING THE RAPID INCREASE IN AID DIS- BURSEMENTS HAS BEEN AN EQUALLY RAPID RISE IN SOMALIA'S EXTERNAL DEBT. BETWEEN YEAR END 1979 AND YEAR END 1984, SOMALIA'S TOTAL EXTERNAL DEBT ROSE TO APPROX- IMATELY US DOLS 1445 MILLION, UP US DOLS 848 MILLION FROM THE US DOLS 597 MILLION LEVEL WHICH HAD PRE- VAILED AT THE CLOSE OF 1979.


1752300228034.png
 
Yeah I've been seeing more of these articles. Its just weird considering all the negotiations going on between the imf and Ethiopia. I guess the world bank guys dont care about what the imf guys are doing.

You are right, they renewed their loan agreement, which is actually part of debt restructuring negotiations.

The conditions for it was that Ethiopia had to make policy adjustments, improvements etc like lowering inflation etc.

But i don't really understand how they an ascertain that they have been faithful to this if there are no reliable economic data like World Bank indicated. So it might be that the IMF just take what they give them.


Also how tf did they managed to afford a whole light rail system :yloezpe::yloezpe: Am dead as if thats the first thing they need to be worrying about, this resumes the whole country perfectly
View attachment 366609

They borrowed 4.5 billion dollars to finance it from China back in 2018

It bleeds money and doesn't contribute to any economic growth. It's pretty much seen as a 'Vanity Project'' by the Chinese themselves.
1752300189386.png

1752300237137.png


Today. Hardly anyone can afford to use it and most of the train are left crumbling, empty and desolate .
 
Also how tf did they managed to afford a whole light rail system :yloezpe::yloezpe: Am dead as if thats the first thing they need to be worrying about, this resumes the whole country perfectly
View attachment 366609
Yeah these expensive projects would require a ton of borrowing which isn't made up by Ethiopia's growth. The classic Chinese debt trap. That said, I think their GERD dam project was actually a good idea since unlike a light rail, electricity access is far more important and will pay off better in the end.
 
Wasn't Somalia's economy knee capped by predatory IMF loans and rising debt from the failed Ogaden War? I'm not saying some form of growth wasn't happening but Somalia was doing pretty bad, especially in the 80s.



GDP per capita takes a massive nosedive after 1977


RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS: SOMALIA'S OVERALL ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE HAS DETERIORATED BADLY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS AS A SERIES OF BLOWS TO ITS EXTERNAL ACCOUNT HAVE COMBINED WITH BURGEONING FISCAL DEFICITS TO RECREATE THE LOW GROWTH, HIGH INFLATION ENVIRONMENT THAT HAD PREVAILED IN THE LATE 1970S. WITH EXPORT EARNINGS CUT TO LESS THAN HALF THEIR 1982 LEVEL (LARGELY AS A RESULT OF SAUDI ARABIA'S 1983 BAN ON CATTLE IMPORTS FROM AFRICA) AND FOREIGN AID FINANCING DOWN 18 PERCENT FROM ITS 1982 PEAK, SOMALIA CLOSED 1984 WITH ITS SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE OVERALL BALANCE OF PAYMENTS DEFICIT, A NEGATIVE NET FOREIGN ASSETS POSITION AND GROSS FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES EQUAL TO BARELY SIX WEEKS OF CASH FINANCED IMPORTS.

PARALLELING THE RAPID INCREASE IN AID DIS- BURSEMENTS HAS BEEN AN EQUALLY RAPID RISE IN SOMALIA'S EXTERNAL DEBT. BETWEEN YEAR END 1979 AND YEAR END 1984, SOMALIA'S TOTAL EXTERNAL DEBT ROSE TO APPROX- IMATELY US DOLS 1445 MILLION, UP US DOLS 848 MILLION FROM THE US DOLS 597 MILLION LEVEL WHICH HAD PRE- VAILED AT THE CLOSE OF 1979.


View attachment 366638

Yeah, the government ran into serious financial problems after the Ogaden War but it wasn’t mainly because of war costs. The real economic blow came from Mengistu's villagization campaign, when he pushed nearly 1 million refugees into Somalia. That’s what broke the budget.

Somalia took them in , with no international help at first and spent everything it had to feed, shelter, and support them. That’s what triggered the debt and IMF loans. Even that Wikileaks cable you shared highlights this , external account issues, aid cuts (like Saudi’s cattle ban), and a growing humanitarian burden.

This is a segment covering what happened at the time:

''Somalia was already dangerously fragile when the refugees came by the thousands, it aborbed about a million of them, a number amounting to a quarter of its population. In trying to care for the refugees Somalia went broke, it depleted itself completely

'' Somalia is not able by itself to carry a loads of burden"




From 1969 to 1978, the Somali gov had regular budget surpluses it was spending on development. After the war yeah, they had to start printing money to handle all the new costs, and that led to inflation.
1752303733623.png

1752303743990.png
1752303268814.png


But here’s the key part people miss:

- The state struggled, but

-The private sector boomed.

- Agricultural output increased.

- Farmer incomes rose.

-Spending power and market activity grew.

1752304488155.png


Somalia actually achieve self-suffieciency in food production during the 1980s
1752304984382.png


Somalia didn’t just spiral into economic collapse, it adapted. While the state was under serious pressure, ordinary people and the private sector were finding ways to thrive. That’s why GDP per capita especially when it’s skewed by IMF loans and government debt doesn’t tell the full story.
 
Yeah these expensive projects would require a ton of borrowing which isn't made up by Ethiopia's growth. The classic Chinese debt trap. That said, I think their GERD dam project was actually a good idea since unlike a light rail, electricity access is far more important and will pay off better in the end.
Its not even chinese debt trap just african countries lying on their resumes and cant pay back
 
It’s really not the same at all. Somalia’s collapse was largely driven by outside interference. Ethiopia’s mess right now is entirely self-inflicted.

  • Did Somalia or Eritrea displace a million people into Ethiopia?
  • Did Somalia back armed groups or block Ethiopia from getting weapons?
  • Did anyone isolate them diplomatically? No.... they did all that to themselves.

Also, let’s not rewrite history. Armed opposition groups based in Ethiopia were already active before the economy faced setbacks. And even in the late '80s, Somalia was still growing economically, private businesses were booming, grain production increased, and people had more disposable income.

This is from 1987 Business Magazine
media%2FGlWwRszXMAA8saU.jpg


It says:

''“Private sector activity literally has exploded. New stores are springing up rapidly in most of Somalia's cities and towns; numerous minibuses now operate; and drugstores which numbered only 20 several vears ago now are in the hundreds. Consumer goods are available more readily in greater variety and quantity throughout the country.”


“The response of the Somali economy has been impressive. The dramatic increase in grain production since liberalization of cereals marketing has helped Somalia become self-sufficient in maize and sorghum. Farmer income, based on relative prices of grain and consumer goods, has risen. Urban welfare also has improved as prices for domestic foodstuffs are relatively lower


View attachment 366634

Here it says:

There has been a notable increase in farmer income and there is greater disposable income throughout the economy. Other results of recent reforms include significant increase in private sector investment as a percentage of GDP and corresponding new employment generation.
View attachment 366635

The government made real policy reforms, supported farmers, encouraged private sector growth and tried to adapt , not perfect, but it wasn’t some cartoon villain suppressing everyone for fun.


Ethiopia, on the other hand, keeps repeating the same pattern no matter who’s in power Haile Selassie, Mengistu, TPLF, Abiy it’s the same centralized, rigid feudal structure that never learns or adapts. Their current collapse isn’t surprising, it’s baked into the system.


People who reduce everything to one Somali leader who died 30 years ago aren’t serious, they’re just stuck in grievance politics.
Saar lets not rewrite history kacaan mujahid bowerful leader saar
 
You are right, they renewed their loan agreement, which is actually part of debt restructuring negotiations.

The conditions for it was that Ethiopia had to make policy adjustments, improvements etc like lowering inflation etc.

But i don't really understand how they an ascertain that they have been faithful to this if there are no reliable economic data like World Bank indicated. So it might be that the IMF just take what they give them.




They borrowed 4.5 billion dollars to finance it from China back in 2018

It bleeds money and doesn't contribute to any economic growth. It's pretty much seen as a 'Vanity Project'' by the Chinese themselves.
View attachment 366637
View attachment 366639

Today. Hardly anyone can afford to use it and most of the train are left crumbling, empty and desolate .
I wonder if the same would happen in Somalia if a railroad was opened from Mogadishu to garowe or borama to garowe, would people be able to afford it ?

The high speed rail in morocco cost 15-20$ for 2nd class and 25-35$ for 1st class
Mombasa-Nairobia train ticket is 7-10$ for economy and 20–30$ for 1st class
Cairo to Alexandria is 2–5$ or 10$ for 1st class

I may be delusional but I really think Somalis could afford it, but the government obviously couldn't
 
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You are right, they renewed their loan agreement, which is actually part of debt restructuring negotiations.

The conditions for it was that Ethiopia had to make policy adjustments, improvements etc like lowering inflation etc.

But i don't really understand how they an ascertain that they have been faithful to this if there are no reliable economic data like World Bank indicated. So it might be that the IMF just take what they give them.




They borrowed 4.5 billion dollars to finance it from China back in 2018

It bleeds money and doesn't contribute to any economic growth. It's pretty much seen as a 'Vanity Project'' by the Chinese themselves.
View attachment 366637
View attachment 366639

Today. Hardly anyone can afford to use it and most of the train are left crumbling, empty and desolate .

This really looks like it could be somewhere in East-Asia or Europe
1752314385242.png
 
Saar lets not rewrite history kacaan mujahid bowerful leader saar
Honestly, most of what I mentioned is about how the economy adapted in the 80s that was driven by private sector growth and the Somali people, not just Kacaan leadership.


The point is: it’s not comparable to Ethiopia. Their private sector is practically nonexistent, it's weak and small mostly dominated by foreigners. Their market economy is dysfunctional, and they’re still dependent on food aid. Somalia in the 1980s even under pressure doesn’t even belong in the same conversation.

For present day comparison:
@Barkhadle1520 @Som @novanova @Midas @Shimbiris @Aseer Looking at this now, it actually reinforces the idea that prices remain relatively stable and similar across the country. Despite the presence of federal member states and Somaliland's self-declared independence, Somalia functions in many ways as a single, integrated economy.

It also reflects that people across regions are largely able to afford and access variety of goods available in local markets , so it supports what we have been saying about the broader level of purchasing power is more than is often assumed and supply & demand that comes with it.
1749844946799-png.363761

Look at this map waa yab, the market dysfunction is catastrophic
Compare Somalia’s performance to the Ethiopian report below , the difference is stark:

Holy cow. Their market economy is basically all fried.
1749845248405-png.363762

Ethiopia’s market economy is visibly struggling, market fragmentation, disrupted supply chains, and uneven price access are clear signs that the system isn't functioning properly.

In contrast, Somalia shows strong internal trade dynamics. Food, goods, and people move seamlessly across regions. Markets are fully stocked, supply chains are active, and most people are able to access goods at relatively stable prices.
 
Honestly, most of what I mentioned is about how the economy adapted in the 80s that was driven by private sector growth and the Somali people, not just Kacaan leadership.


The point is: it’s not comparable to Ethiopia. Their private sector is practically nonexistent, it's weak and small mostly dominated by foreigners. Their market economy is dysfunctional, and they’re still dependent on food aid. Somalia in the 1980s even under pressure doesn’t even belong in the same conversation.

For present day comparison:


Look at this map waa yab, the market dysfunction is catastrophic
No way this is MFS for Somalia, no way
1752317901230.png
 
No way this is MFS for Somalia, no way
View attachment 366655

Its not from IMF, its supply chain and market analysis update from World Food Program , WFP

Full posts on this:
Notes from Global Food security cluster
"Reports indicate that overrall food security conditions in Puntland are normal, with most households able to meet their basic food needs"
View attachment 363755

View attachment 363756
View attachment 363757
View attachment 363758

This is pretty much reflective of most of Somalia's market across all states are-stocked with food of every type and its available.
From the Joint Markets and Supply Chain Update | 16 – 30 April 2025
1749844188450-png.363760

 

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