Ethiopia Launches Major Anti-Corruption Operation Targeting Security Officials and State Firm

Ethiopian authorities have arrested at least 65 senior officials as part of a sweeping anti-corruption and human rights crackdown led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The detentions, the largest under Abiy’s reform agenda to date, include 36 members of the country’s intelligence and prison services and 27 employees of Metals and Engineering Corporation (Metec), a powerful state-owned military-industrial enterprise.

The arrests follow a five-month investigation by the attorney-general into Metec and the security sector. Metec, established in 2010 by merging nine former Ministry of Defence businesses, has long held a dominant position in Ethiopia’s state-led economy, with interests in construction, engineering, and arms production. In August, Abiy canceled one of Metec’s major contracts for hydroelectric turbines, but the latest detentions go further, signaling a strong push to hold powerful figures accountable.

Among those arrested are former deputy head of the national security agency Yared Zerihun and former Metec director-general Major General Kinfe Dagnew. Allegations include corruption, mismanagement, and involvement in past human rights abuses within Ethiopia’s prisons.

The government also aired a 45-minute documentary detailing accusations against Metec, a move praised by some but criticized by observers for potentially influencing public opinion before judicial proceedings. Analysts stress that while the crackdown aligns with Abiy’s broader reforms, the judiciary must remain independent to ensure fair investigations and trials.