‘We Are Everywhere’: How Ethiopia Became a Land of Prying Eyes<br />In a country whose rugged landscape is larger in area than France<br />and Germany combined, Ethiopia’s ruling party — which, with its allies, controls every seat in Parliament — relies on a vast network of millions of party members like Mr. Alene as useful agents and sources of information, according to current and former government officials and academics who study the country.<br />Fendika, where Mr. Alene keeps watch, was largely insulated from riots last year, partly thanks to<br />his diligent work of converting half the village, made up of ethnic Amharas, to the ruling party.<br />Alene said that Even in these violent times, this kebele has been peaceful,<br />There’s no choice." Mr. Alene had made amends with the neighbor he forced to buy fertilizer at gunpoint,<br />and the two men recently sat next to each other at the village pub.<br />If that doesn’t work out, we report to the police." Mr. Alene, who has been a member<br />of the ruling party since it swept to power in 1991, recruits villagers to join.<br />"It’s impressive, but it also exhibits a very authoritarian state present on the ground to an extent unseen in Ethiopian history." In rural areas, "one-to-fives"<br />allow a designated model farmer, like Mr. Alene, to teach best practices, including the merits of using fertilizer, and be rewarded when output increases.
