policy since his appointment," the opposition politician added.

According to Mosley, "The policies towards its neighbor Somalia, as well as the Nile water policy towards Sudan and Egypt have not changed." He sees the recent cabinet reshuffle, which saw the appointment of three deputy prime ministers, as primarily due to the ethnic balance of power in the EPRDF multi-party coalition. There is still a small question mark as to whether the policy towards northern neighbor Eritrea will ever change. "Continuity with the previous government is the need of the hour," Mosley noted.

Fading hope

The optimism that greeted Ethiopia's development from partners abroad seems to have faded. At the beginning of 2013, some 16 members of the European Parliament appealed in an open letter to Hailemariam to respect the freedom ofexpression. "The new prime minister has a great opportunity to bring his country forward if he allows openness, criticism and freedom of expression," German MEP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, one of the signatories, said.

Zenawi's oppressive regime was a strong US ally in the war on terror

Nevertheless hardly a day goes without western diplomats watching cases against journalists. An example is the eleven journalists convicted under the draconian anti-terrorism law. Only after the Committee to Protect Journalists decried the arrests, and lobbied with other independent journalists, were some of the accused freed. However by the end of 2012, six were still in custody including the award-winning blogger Eskinder Nega.

Terrorism charges against 29 Muslim journalists, clergy and activists almost pushed Ethiopian Muslims to the limit. They have now made their Friday