Ethiopia’s Abiy kicks off massive tree-planting drive

AFP | Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed kicked off a drive Tuesday to plant six billion trees nationwide this year, highlighting his focus on the environment ahead of elections.

It is the third consecutive year that Abiy – the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner – has urged Ethiopians to plant billions of trees, part of his “Green Legacy” campaign to promote ecotourism and combat the effects of climate change.

Africa’s second most populous country is gearing up for national and regional parliamentary polls that were scheduled for June 5, though the electoral board announced at the weekend they needed to be pushed back because of logistical problems.

As officials work to identify a new date, Abiy called on Ethiopians to overcome ethnic, regional and religious differences and unite for the planting season which typically lasts until October.

“A seedling is not related to politics. Because, in politics, as a country that will hold an election within less than one month, we will campaign for a month,” Abiy told a meeting that brought together regional leaders and cabinet ministers.

“But the Green Legacy project that we start today will continue until September and October. After the election it will continue on, not only for the government but also for citizens.”

At Tuesday’s launch, in a meeting hall filled with freshly watered seedlings, Agriculture Minister Omar Husen said more than 10 billion trees were planted in the first 2 years of the Green Legacy effort.

The goal is to hit 20 billion by the end of next year.

This year the government also plans to send 1 billion seedlings to neighboring countries.