Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Finian Cunningham, Selam Gebremeskel, Selam Randall December 24th, 2020

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s home edition, recorded on this date, December 15th, 2020.

Last month, the federal government of Ethiopia attacked the newly elected provincial government in the country’s northern Tigray region. Acting prime minister, Abiy Ahmed said the reason for the military action was in response to a raid on a federal army base within Tigray by the regional government as part of its plan to secede. But there’s much more going on behind the scenes than what’s reported by Abiy; and much more behind his rise to power too.

Finian Cunningham is a long-time and prolific journalist who worked as an editor and writer for major U.K. media outlets The Mirror, Irish Times, and Independent. The two-time Serena Shim Award for Uncompromising Integrity in Journalism recipient’s articles on international affairs appear at numerous online outlets, including RT, where I found his article, ‘Nobel-winning Ethiopian PM has overseen country’s descent into barbarity and madness‘ written as the conflict was beginning in early November.

Finian Cunningham in the first half.

And; though the desperate situation for Ethiopia’s Tigrayan population worsens, their story has largely disappeared from Western media reports. The Abiy government has tried to stem the flow of refugees into neighbouring Sudan, even as it renews its promise to settle militarily differences outside observors say could make the country “the Libya of East Africa”.

Selamawit Gebremeskel and Selam Randall are Ethiopian emigres. Both are long-time Canadian citizens who now call Victoria home.

Selam Gebremeskel and Selam Randall anxiously watching developments in Ethiopia from afar in the second half.

But first, Finian Cunningham and Abiy Ahmed ushering chaos in Ethiopia.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/