People to Watch

The people below are non-state actors  that make and shape the current Ethiopian regime political, social and economic grips and its relationship with the international community.  What makes them unique is they are foreign national of Ethiopian origin with close tie with Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party of the Ethiopia government  as consultants and experts working for foreign institutions or operating private business or think-thanks in their own respective fields with tremendous influence in the government's policy in key sectors of the country.

Mehari Taddele Maru: claim to be specialist in international human rights and humanitarian law, an international consultant on African Union affairs, and an expert in Public Administration and Management. A Research Fellow at the NATO Defense College.

To see some of his writing on Ethiopia, regional and international issue go to his personal blog. He is also regular contributor  on Horn Affairs, an online Media tied to the ruling TPLF in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Horn Affair multi language Media (English, Amharic, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna)  led by Daniel Berhane (Editor in Chief). Among Mehari's various work,  Director of Office for University Reform,  Addis Ababa University and Programme Head for African Conflict Prevention Programme (ACPP-Addis).



Zemedeneh Negatu, Managing Partner Ernest and Young East Africa -Ethiopia in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. He is the principle person that promote Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia provide consulting service for governments, private and nongovernmental entities. Known for drawing a rosy picture investment opportunities in Ethiopia his recent speech in front of Turkish investors and government officials on Turkey-Ethiopia Business Forum (27 April 2015, Istanbul) with the Ethiopian government officials  summarizes his work.

Dr Eleni GebreMedhin; Founder and Former CEO of Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) with help of forign aid and owner of  Eleni LLC, a consulting firm that expand similar Exchanges in Africa. She is the principle person that centralized the Agriculture commodity market in Ethiopia with government-private partnership arrangement. Prior the establishment EXC she presented at TED Talk, how she could help turn the world's largest recipient of food aid into a regional food basket. 

Yohannes Assefa,  Managing Director of The Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum, a New York based Ethiopian Diaspora business and investment group. He is also Chief of the WTO Accession Plus Project with the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade, Addis Ababa and Founder and Managing Director of Stalwart Management Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd, an International Legal Consulting Firm based in Dubai. A lawyer by profession, he is the principle person that promote Diaspora investment to Ethiopia.


Amanuel "Manny" Amare, President,and Founder Amanule 'Manny' Amare, claims to be Founder of ModernETH, established 2008 is an offshore software development and outsourcing company that provides services to clients across the globe, specialize in developing high quality software ranging from simple desktop applications to complex industrial-strength distributed applications that work in local and wide area networks.  Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with offices in London and the New York, and founded Altour Management Technology  1997 in New York with Alexandre Chemla, according to its website

Henok Assefa, claim to be Founder and Managing  Director, Precise Consult International, consultancy firm specializing in finance, investment, business intelligence and private sector development advisory services established in 2007 by returning Diasporas, according to its website. He is a Co-Founder of The Ethiopian Diaspora Business Forum in New York with his brother Yohannes Assefa. According the firms' LinkedIn profile  the firm is also a New York State registered Limited Liability Corporation and Assefa also serves on the board of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations as well as the American Chamber of Commerce in Ethiopia.