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Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed participated alongside cabinet members, deputy ministers and heads of government institutions in exercises at the Hurso military training centre, where photos distributed on social media showed the group engaged in drills, a statement from the prime minister’s office indicated. The initiative marks an unusual step for civilian officials in Ethiopia, where such training has rarely extended to senior government figures, according to reporting by the BBC. Abiy Ahmed stated that the programme would help cultivate physical fitness, moral strength and intellectual capability among leaders while advancing the country’s development objectives.
The training follows parliament’s approval of a new 22-member cabinet on October 8, 2026, days after Abiy Ahmed’s re-election for a fresh five-year term, Horn Diplomat reported. That reshuffle installed Fitsum Assefa as finance minister and Mohammed Idris as defence minister while retaining several incumbents including Health Minister Mekdes Daba and Speaker of the House of Federation Muferiat Kamil, the publication detailed. The new line-up constitutes what the government has termed the Medemer Government, reflecting the prime minister’s emphasis on synergy across institutions, Addis Standard noted in separate coverage.
Abiy Ahmed has described military science and experience as unrivaled in shaping purpose, personality, discipline and accountability, a release from Fana Media Corporation on October 31 stated. He argued that lessons from the armed forces in teamwork, patriotism and readiness would support implementation of the Medemer vision for comprehensive prosperity that encompasses material, spiritual and moral advancement, the release added. The prime minister further observed that soldiers pursue specific targets while civilians work toward broader goals, yet both share the objective of victory, according to the same announcement.
The exercises take place as Ethiopia manages continued fighting in parts of the Tigray region that resumed in September 2026, along with conflict in Amhara and insecurity in Oromia, Kulu Media reported earlier in the month. In February 2026, Abiy Ahmed announced that military training had expanded beyond land, mountains and rivers into maritime operations to help secure peace from the tip of Somalia to the Massawa port in Eritrea and counter piracy and terrorism along the Red Sea, an Addis Standard dispatch from that period recorded. The prime minister positioned the military buildup as a regional shield intended to deter instability rather than provoke it, the outlet added.
Ethiopia received its first two Su-35 fighter jets from Russia on October 28, 2026, with plans for additional deliveries along with four S-400 air defence systems, Reuters reported the prime minister as announcing. Abiy Ahmed characterised the acquisitions as a milestone for national security and preventive deterrence against aggression, the news agency detailed. Government statements have framed the leadership training as complementary to these capability enhancements by fostering coordination and responsibility across civilian and military structures.
Senior officials are expected to apply insights from the Hurso programme to align strategic thinking, mobilise public participation and strengthen national security frameworks, according to the Fana Media Corporation summary of Abiy Ahmed’s remarks. The prime minister stressed that such preparation would improve coordination from grassroots to federal levels while ensuring leaders remain ready to fulfil commitments to citizens, the summary noted. No details have been released on the precise start date or duration of the current training cycle, the BBC reported.
