Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin praised his host country’s inclusive national dialogue that he predicted will bring peace not only to this Horn of Africa leader, but to the rest of the continent as well. In his words, “When there is peace in Ethiopia, peace is possible in the whole region. But if there is no peace in Ethiopia, there will be no peace and development in the whole region; and that means it is decisive not only to Ethiopia but the whole sub-region of Horn of Africa and the whole region. I mean the African continent as a whole.”

These aren’t just musical words spoken by a diplomat to please his hosts but an objective observation that deserves to be further elaborated upon. Ethiopia is the historical cradle of the continent’s anti-imperialist and Pan-Africanist movements, which is why the decision was made decades ago for the African Union to be based in its capital of Addis Ababa. It was also never colonized either, only being briefly occupied by fascist Italy. Furthermore, it’s the second most populous country in Africa and previously had one of the world’s highest economic growth rates prior to the pandemic.

Ethiopia is therefore undoubtedly an African leader and an anchor of continental stability. The Western-led TPLF-driven Hybrid War of Terror that’s been waged since November 2020 as punishment for its independent foreign policy was meant to send an example to the rest of Africa that they shouldn’t dare follow in its sovereign footsteps but should instead submit to their former colonizers. The Ethiopian people’s victory in this unprecedentedly difficult struggle ensured their civilization-state’s continued existence, which in turn stabilized the Horn of Africa and the rest of the continent as well.

That’s why Ethiopia’s rehabilitation after the conflict and Russia’s active participation in it are so important, as is the need to foil the US-led West’s latest attempts to spark another war with the TPLF and/or neighboring Sudan. Washington wants nothing more than to sow chaos throughout Africa in order to destabilize its governments and thus make it easier to plunder their resources, especially since its European vassals need to replace their lost Russian ones after unilaterally decoupling from that Great Power under American pressure.

Regardless of whether or not another conflict breaks out in Ethiopia, this civilization-state will remain among the most important countries in the New Cold War because of the central role that it plays in determining Africa’s future. As Ambassador Terekhin wisely said, “When there is peace in Ethiopia, peace is possible in the whole region. But if there is no peace in Ethiopia, there will be no peace and development in the whole region.” This axiomatic insight should guide the African policy of the “Big Eight” multipolar leaders that Russian Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin recently wrote about.