Hagerekaopi by Lidetu Ayalew

From one of Ethiopia’s most prominent political figures and exiled thought leaders comes Hagerekaopi — a bold and timely political fiction that mirrors the deep crises facing Ethiopia today.

In this gripping 231-page novel, Lidetu Ayalew introduces Hagerekaopi, an imaginary nation born out of fiction but steeped in real-world relevance. Though the characters and setting are fully fictional, the story is a powerful allegory for Ethiopia’s current political turmoil — and a call to imagine a peaceful, democratic future.

Through the rise and collapse of a nation governed by flawed leadership, Hagerekaopi delivers three urgent messages:

• How bad governance and civil war ultimately lead to national disintegration,
• Why peaceful public disobedience is the viable alternative to rescue a nation from collapse, and
• How a war-torn country can devise a transition toward lasting peace and democratic stability.

Hagerekaopi is not just a novel. It is a political instrument — a literary intervention intended to awaken, inspire, and guide citizens, activists, and policymakers toward a nonviolent, unified path forward.

Now more than ever, Ethiopia needs ideas that transcend fear and division. Hagerekaopi dares to imagine that future — and invites you to do the same.