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Articles by Andrew Decort
Ethiopia: My Interview With Hachalu Hundessa: 'The Other Is a Divine Creation'
Introduction On April 11, 2019, I had the privilege of interviewing the beloved dissident Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa (1986-2020). I was touched by Hachalu's kind presence and generosity of spirit as we sat together in Addis Ababa. He spoke openly with me about the atrocious injustices he and his people had suffered. He also spoke about his struggle to resist and transform these evils. Hachalu presented himself as a freedom fighter for the rights of all Ethiopians.
How Good Friday Undermines the Powers and Principalities
What is good about Good Friday? Why is the dark day commemorating Jesus’ murder still relevant for us as we ache with the grief of murderous violence, like the recent shooting at a Christian school in Nashville, Tenn.? From my perspective, contemporary identity is increasingly predicated on seeing others as “enemies,” and this vision fuels violence.
Ethiopia’s “Other War” in Oromia
We are witnessing a horrifying escalation of violence in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. Footage is being released of people being burned alive by soldiers and human heads being paraded on pikes by Amhara Fano militants. Every few days bring news of another massacre. The government is using drones and jets to dominate its own people. The region is becoming a human slaughterhouse. What we are witnessing is not new.
The Secrets of Modern Espionage
With Season 4 of FP’s podcast I Spy in full swing, we thought it was time to revisit some of our best reads on the art of espionage.
Russia's Brutal Use of Artillery in Ukraine Has Historical Roots
Russian artillery is an old tradition with brutal uses. Mobile artillery parades through Moscow’s Red Square on Nov. 7, 1957. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Russia did not intend to fight a war like this. After their initial dash toward Kyiv failed, Russian forces have resorted to grinding sieges, encircling Mariupol and other cities in Ukraine’s east. With it has come a return to a familiar practice in Russian doctrine for centuries: the use of massed heavy artillery.
Is Brexit a Swamp Creature From 10,000 Years Ago?
Just as nature is said to abhor a vacuum, historians seem to abhor the lack of a grand narrative. In our lifetimes, we have seen several such narratives come and go: Buried is the Marxist fantasy that history is a conflict between classes, as is the idea that the march of time inevitably leads to modernity and liberal democracy.
‘The Lazarus Heist’ Is the Gripping Story of North Korean Cybercrime
“Remember the 11th of September 2001.” That chilling threat was posted on the internet after North Korea’s cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014, which aimed to prevent the release of a movie that ends with the death of a fictitious version of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In his new book, The Lazarus Heist, investigative journalist Geoff White digs into the fascinating evolution of Pyongyang’s cyberactivities, from terrorism to sanctions evasion to other criminal...
In Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed’s Christian Nationalism Is Tearing the Country Apart
An ancient Christian imperialism is resurging in Ethiopia today under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This archaic vision promises to unify Ethiopia and restore its divine glory. But it appears to be shattering Ethiopia and fueling catastrophic suffering. Its core belief is that Ethiopia is a Christian nation created and destined by God for greatness under Christian leadership.
WTO Clinches Deal Aimed at Reducing Global Overfishing
More than 160 countries pledged on Friday to limit subsidies to fisheries, in an international agreement that conservationists believe could help address overfishing and improve the health of the world’s oceans. Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) had been negotiating the deal for more than two decades. They reached a breakthrough in Geneva this week after multiple rounds of negotiations that continued into the early morning.
Michelle Bachelet's Xinjiang Disaster Taints Her Legacy at the United Nations
The United Nations’ high commissioner for human rights is one of the world’s custodians of justice, civil liberties, and accountability. Navi Pillay initiated a U.N. inquiry into crimes against humanity in North Korea. Zeid Raad Al Hussein called for an International Criminal Court probe into atrocities committed against Rohingyas in Myanmar.
The United States Needs to Relearn Nuclear Strategy
A few years ago, while visiting Air Force Global Strike Command in Louisiana, I crashed a B-52 bomber. I was attempting a low-level bombing run and fought the controls as the big plane went down. Covered with sweat from the effort, I climbed out of the pilot’s seat and exited the hyperrealistic training module to the instructors’ knowing smiles.
Iran Is Going Nuclear. The U.S. Had Plenty of Chances to Stop It.
After more than two decades of failed policies—fluctuating wildly between confrontation and cooperation—Washington and the West still find themselves facing down a hostile Iran. And today, though it is in dire shape economically, Tehran may be close to delivering the final rebuff, with experts saying it is just weeks away from achieving nuclear bomb capability.
Will Syrian Refugees Be Forced to Leave Turkey?
Um Anas, a Syrian refugee in Turkey, has never felt the kind of hostility in Istanbul she does now. “Unwelcoming looks,” she said, have replaced her neighbors’ formerly warm smiles, and “racist comments have become louder.” Um Anas worked as a pharmacist in Damascus before fleeing to Turkey amid the Syrian war in 2014 with her husband, a Syrian army official who chose not to fight for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Anti-Establishment 'King of Tik Tok' Rodolfo Hernández Has Transformed Colombia's Presidential Election
An anti-establishment candidate’s late surge in the country’s presidential race has transformed the election. Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro celebrates in Bogotá on May 29. YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Latin America Brief.
The Window To Expel Russia From Ukraine Is Now
The West must help the Ukrainians expel Russian forces from Ukraine’s southeast, at least to the lines as they were before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February. The Kremlin is trying to absorb and likely annex Ukraine’s southeast, but Russia has not yet solidified its control over the occupied areas. Russia controls some places, such as Kherson, militarily—but cannot yet govern them.
The Neighbor-Love Week for National Reconciliation
A serious call for love, dialogue, and reconciliation from all major religions could alleviate Ethiopia’s political tension. Ethiopia is an overwhelmingly religious country. The Pew Research Center found that 98 percent of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christians say that their religion is “very important” to them. This makes them among the most religious people in the world.
Celebrity Christians Leaders Need to Be Retired: Reflections on Ravi Zacharias
Dear Friends, Ravi Zacharias was a world-famous Christian speaker and writer. He wrote many books and had a huge global ministry. When he died last year, my social media was flooded with his pictures, quotes, and testimonies about how he changed people’s lives for Christ. It was like a Protestant saint had been canonized. Since then, it has been revealed that Zacharias sexually abused many women in the United States and other countries.
Balinjeraye: Unity and diversity are neighbors, and so are we
For new futures that make the best of our pasts, we must abandon the war-making violence of wanting others to disappear, whether by domination (fake-unity) or divorce (fake-diversity) Many people today assume that unity and diversity are enemies. For example, we often hear in politics and religion about the “pro-unity camp” and the “pro-diversity camp.” This binary metaphor pictures unity and diversity as armies on a battlefield struggling for domination.
The End of Revenge: Easter’s Silent Miracle
There is a silent miracle hidden in the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection. But I’ve never seen a preacher or commentator point it out. As we know, Jesus was unjustly arrested, brutally tortured, and horrifically executed by the religious and political leaders of his society. The Roman invention of crucifixion was meant to maximize agony and anguish. Perhaps more painful than his physical suffering, Jesus died in betrayal, abandonment, and mockery.
Ethiopia: The Famine of Competence in Ethiopia's Education System
column By Andrew DecortEthiopia is a remarkably young country and a veritable nation of students with a median age of around 18. Nearly 46 million Ethiopians (43.6pc) are 14 years or younger, and 67 million Ethiopians (65.5pc) are 24 years or younger, according to Index Mundi's 2017 estimate. These numbers make it impossible to exaggerate the importance of Ethiopia's educational system for nurturing the present and future generations who will work for the development of the society.
Ethiopia: Ethics During Crisis - From Missed Chances to Neighbor-Love
opinion By Andrew DecortIf I could recommend only one article from a foreign author to address Ethiopia's current situation, it would be Donald Levine's 2007 essay "Ethiopia's Missed Chances" in *Interpreting Ethiopia*, which I edited with Professor Levine soon before his death. Levine does three things in this essay, all of which are relevant for today's crisis.
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