Abiy Ahmed Wins Ethiopian Election, but Conflict Fears Grow

Sun Jun 21 2026 18:24:53 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Ethiopia’s Nobel laureate leads his party to a parliamentary majority amid stalled voter turnout and rising security tensions.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed secured his party’s parliamentary majority in the June 1 election, a victory matched by a low turnout and concerns over armed groups in Amhara and Oromia. The Prosperity Party won 438 of 501 seats and will form the government with Ahmed returning to office in October. Yet the exclusion of Tigray, still healing from a two‑year war, heightens fears of renewed violence. International bodies call for de‑escalation as analysts warn that the fragile peace could fracture under Abiy’s consolidation of power.

Abiy Ahmed Wins Ethiopian Election, but Conflict Fears Grow

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed placing a ballot

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize winner, secured his party’s parliamentary majority in the June 1 election, a clear win amid heavy security concerns and low participation.

The Prosperity Party won 438 of the 501 seats and is set to form the government, with Ahmed slated to return to office in October.

However, armed groups in Amhara and Oromia rejected the poll, and the Tigray region remained excluded after a two-year conflict, raising fears of a resurgence of violence.

Security analysts warn that the fragile peace, already tested by the Tigrayan war, could strain under Abiy’s consolidation of power, potentially sparking a new regional conflict.

International bodies including the EU and the US have called for de-escalation, while the UN estimates the war’s toll at up to 600,000 dead.

The outcome underscores the complexity of Ethiopia’s transition: a political success tempered by deep-rooted tensions that threaten peace.