In association with state formation, new constitution was also promulgated in 1995. The imperial period 1974 ethiopia is the only african state never colonised by a foreign power. As ethiopia has not so far allowed open contestation for power, it is difficult to tell the. Soon after the coalition came together, it introduced an ethnic federal system of governance to try and address historic ethnic grievances by giving ethiopia s different regions the chance to. Most of its people speak an ethiosemitic or cushitic language which are both part of the afroasiatic language family, while others speak nilosaharan languages. Pdf this thesis explores why ethnicity was introduced as the basis for the reconstitution of the ethiopian state in 1991, examining the. This country profile is a reference work, analysing the countrys history, politics, infrastructure and economy. The study challenges the already existing thoughts on ethnicity, which map the concept on contours of polar extremes. Ethnic federalism in ethiopia offered the prospect of a shift away from the high modernism of that states past projects to develop its people, apparently in favour of the collective perspectives of groups of its citizens. Ethiopia figure analysis displacement related to conflict and violence context ethiopia experienced the highest number of new displacements related to conflict and violence in the world in 2018. The eprdf is a coalition of ethnic political movements, dominated by the tigray peoples liberation front. About 20,000 of these individuals were concentrated outside harar, in ethiopia s capital addis ababa. Pdf an integrated approach to the study of ethnicity and.
Ethnic federalism and its discontents the web site. Click download or read online button to get ethiopia and the state of democracy book now. How ethnic violence is destabilising ethiopias reform gains. Perpetuating power cru report, september 2016 on a final note, it should be noted that this research proved to be a difficult endeavour. A closer look at the nature of the perennial struggles for the remaking of ethiopia, clearly shows the centrality of the competing ethnic nationalists claims for an equitable share of power and resources under the command of the state merera 2002. In general, the research findings show that although federalism either in ethnic or other forms has been implemented as a system for state building in ethiopia and nigeria, still there are.
The ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front eprdf. Evil days 30 years of war and famine in ethiopia an africa watch report september 1991 485 fifth avenue new york, ny 100176104 tel. The constitution grants important competences to the regional states. During the ethiopian civil war, the eprdf was a rebel group battling the derg, a military regime led by mengistu haile mariam that was effectively in power from 1974 until it was replaced by the peoples democratic republic of ethiopia in 1987. Issues of minority rights in the ethiopian federation by taking the objective, subjective and the combination of both criteria of defining minorities, ethiopia is a land of minorities. Actors, power and mobilization under ethnic federalism, e. Standards and indicators for cultural competence in social work practice national association of social workers prabro25315.
There is not any one ethnic group that claims to be in a majority position at the federal national level. However, this had brought the national questions as the politicoideological agenda by the. The demographics of ethiopia encompass the demographic features of ethiopia s inhabitants, including ethnicity, languages, population density, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Abate mammo, a demographer, deflated the false sense of demographic reality in his article, population distribution in ethiopia. Constitutional protection of ethnic minorities at the regional level it is argued that in order to evaluate the capacity of the ethiopian federal structure to accommodate ethnic diversity and to regulate ethnic conflicts, the research cannot be limited to an analysis of the constitutional mechanisms at the federal level. Tplfs minority ethnic monopoly of the armed forces in ethiopia. Journal of eastern african studies ethnicbased federalism and.
Ethiopia is implementing a radical programme of decentralising state power to ethnic. Tplfs minority ethnic monopoly of the armed forces in ethiopia a revisit after four years oct 06, 2014 the monopoly of key government decision making positions in ethiopia by individuals of one ethnic group, the tplf led tigrean elite, over the past twenty three years has never had. The economist intelligence units country reports analyse current trends and provide a twoyear forecast. Ethiopia will explode if it doesnt move beyond ethnic based politics. So far, ethiopia has conducted two decennial national censusesin 1984 and again in 1994. This paper is an investigation of the relationship between identity, politics, and rumours in jimma, ethiopia. Ethiopia s population is highly diverse with different languages and ethnic groups. Thus, the eprdf that assumed power in may 1991 after its protracted 17 year armed insurgency undertaken the reconstruction of the ethiopian state. Revolutionary democratic front african politics by adopting an ethnicbased federal eprdf. Ethnicity, democratisation and decentralization in ethiopia 87. Therefore, the ethnic groups of ethiopia are constitu tionally coupled to specific regional states and it is within and through these states that they exercise their right to selfdetermination. Tplf which fought a sixteen year war against the derg. The ethnic federalization of the post1991 ethiopia and the subsequent adoption of developmental state paradigm are the two most important pillars for the countrys political and economic. Implementing new constitutions october 14, 2017 draft please do not cite or distribute i.
The eprdfs ethnic federalism has not dampened con flict, but rather increased. Oromo nationalism helped bring abiy ahmed to power, but it could also be his undoing. Place of diversity in the current ethiopian education and. Ethnic federalism and its discontents executive summary the ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front eprdf, led by its chairman and prime minister, meles zenawi, has radically reformed ethiopia s political system. Click download or read online button to political parties in ethiopia book pdf for free now. Ethiopia is politically organised in a system of ethnic federalism, under which the country is divided into ethnicallydefined regions and zones. Pdf federalism and powersharing in ethiopia kaleab. Whatever the merits of ethnic federalism, there is no doubt that ethnicity had by 1991 long become a significant factor in shaping many if not most of the various power struggles waged by armed liberation movements in different parts of ethiopia, and was understood as such, at least by their active and elite participants. Mapping power and ethnicity in the federal democratic republic 182. Ethnicity and the state in eastern africa edited by m.
D these days ethnicity is much talked issues in the contemporary world, especially in the third world, so called underdeveloped countries by developed western countries. The eprdfs strength and legitimacy derives from its inclusion of representatives from all of ethiopia s major ethnic groups. Download pdf political parties in ethiopia free online. The state administration constitutes the highest organ of executive power. Ethnicity and power in ethiopia john young ethiopia is implementing a radical programme of decentralising state power to ethnicbased regional units, which could be of interest to other countries in africa faced with demands of ethnic communities for a greater role in the state. Ethnicity, democratisation and decentralization in ethiopia 85 while using naked force to suppress the same demands on the other. Ethnic federal system and conflict in the post1995. At the same time, ethnic federalism is preferred to the forced integration of different ethnic groups, the attendant suppression of group rights, and the absence of ethnocultural justice, all of which will lead to ethnic conflict and, of course, the dissolution of ethiopia. Ethnicity and power in ethiopia edinburgh research archive. The state council has the power of legislation on matters falling under state jurisdiction. Drinking, rumour, and ethnicity in jimma, ethiopia africa. This constitution is an expression of their sovereignty. Ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front wikipedia. Ethnicity, democratisation and decentralization in.
History and ideology 57 selfadministration through regional autonomy. The regime transformed the hitherto centralised state into the federal democratic republic and also redefined. Most harari people are bilingual in amharic and oromo, both of which are also afroasiatic languages. The coercive and developmental imperatives of the state that guided its implementation. During this period, the derg was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of opponents without trial in the qey shibir and the 1983. The study investigated the practice of ethnic federal system along with ethnic rights to selfdetermination and associated conflicts in the context of southern regional state of ethiopia.
The politics of ethnicity in ethiopia actors, power and. The limits of institutions in multiethnic societies published on 01 jan 2011 by brill. The sidama and the wolayta published on 01 jan 2011 by brill. Their sovereignty shall be expressed through their representatives elected in accordance with this constitution and through their direct democratic participation article 9 supremacy of the. Ethnicity and power in ethiopia john young ethiopia is implementing a radical programme of decentralising state power to ethnic based regional units, which could be of interest to other countries in africa faced with demands of ethnic communities for a greater role in the state. Here, a point that should not be missed in any intellectual venture to understand ethnicity is the paradox that surrounds identity politics. The other important issue that is rampant in ethiopia is the issue of ethnic boundary. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The eprdfs strength and legitimacy derives from its inclusion of representatives from all of ethiopias major ethnic groups.
Ethiopia as most studies that examined the use of health services had primarily focused on adults 6. But as ethnic clashes flare, the changes may not be enough to stabilize the nation. All sovereign power resides in the nations, nationalities and peoples of ethiopia. Federalism in a context of extreme ethnic pluralism. Using comparative and empirical approaches, this study analyses the impacts of federalism on ethnic conflicts in ethiopia in general and in the somali and benishangulgumuz regions in particular. Social groups may also compete among themselves in the definition of their respective identities and in their attempts to impose their visions of integration and development on society. The politics of ethnicity in ethiopia actors, power and mobilisation. Ethiopia adopted ethnic federalism and restructured the regions along ethnic. System of division of revenue in ethiopia alefe abeje belay lecturer, bahir dar university, ethiopia abstract in addressing the issue of the allocation of revenue raising powers, the main question is the taxation power distributed between the tiers of government in a federal system. Although ethiopia is not new to ethnic based conflicts, their scale and intensity in the short time since prime minister abiy ahmed alis rise to power has been alarming. Ethiopias ethnic violence history with oromos, amharas. Inequalities on the basis of gender, ethnicity, social class and many other factors affect the lives of many people in a country that is as diverse as ethiopia and features more than 90 ethnic and linguistic groups. However, these pledges were not translated into practice. Where applicable, decision makers must refer to the country policy and information note on ethiopia.
The one prominent exception is ethiopia, which since 1991 has imposed a system of ethnicbased federalism that offers each ethnic group the right of selfdetermination. If ethnicity is manufactured at will and manipulated to serve any number of selfish purposes, then it is only an object, the case for calling it a cause of the numerous problems regularly attributed to it would not be sustainable. During a court session in december 2017, inmates criticized the report for. Since it was considered unseemly for a woman to serve in her own right, ras tafari, the son of ras makonnen and a cousin of menilek, served as zauditus regent and heir apparent.
Conflict and state security in the horn of africa 43 1981 to resist authoritarianism and brutality against the deprived people. Political parties in ethiopia download political parties in ethiopia ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format. Issues of minority rights in the ethiopian federation. Ethnic federalism in ethiopia offered the prospect of a shift away from the high modernism of that states past projects to develop its people, apparently in. So, ethiopia experienced two major transitions in the course of the last five decades that are central to understanding the state of democracy and marketbased economy in ethiopia today. Ethiopia must abandon ethnic politics or it will explode. This study is a qualitative research that employed both primary and secondary sources. The one prominent exception is ethiopia, which since 1991 has imposed a system of ethnic based federalism that offers each ethnic group the right of selfdetermination. The government of ethiopia, and all political parties represented within that government, have to do their level best to address the root causes of ethnic extremism, as well as engage all parties in dialogue to diffuse tensions that appear in the country on the basis of ethnic identity. Utilization of youth reproductive health services and.
This study deals with ethnicity and inter ethnic relations in african context, with particular emphasis on the new ethiopian experiment of ethnic politics. Constitution of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia. Peoples region the case of ethiopias southern nations. Harari is also commonly written in latin outside of ethiopia. Actors, power and mobiliza tion under ethnic federalism, is made up of a laconic preface, eight. This was partly because ethiopia s political and economic model differs significantly from the framework of the liberal peacebuilding agenda. Click download or read online button to get federalism and party politics in ethiopia book now. Personal identity as well as cultural identity ethnic identity always materialise in relation to somebody else.
Ethiopia into an ethnic federation poses sets of opportunities and. A comparative study by tewodros yalew submitted to central european university department of political science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts supervisor prof. Federalism and the accommodation of ethnic diversity. Tplfs minority ethnic monopoly of the armed forces in ethiopia a revisit after four years oct 06, 2014 the monopoly of key government decision making positions in ethiopia by individuals of one ethnic group, the tplf led tigrean elite, over the past twenty three years has never had precedence in ethiopian history. The 1974 revolution transformed what was almost a medieval empire into a highly centralized. Outside of shewa, menelik and his generals extended the war of conquest to the west, east and south. Today, federal political systems are increasingly used by states with a multi ethnic population as a mechanism to accommodate the demands of their ethnic groups as well as to protect their territorial integrity. Consistent with the provisions of this constitution, the council has power to draft, adopt and amend the state constitution. Ethiopia ethiopia the rise and reign of haile selassie i 191674. In almost all cases, the displacement was triggered by conflict between different ethnic groups over access to political power or scarce resources such as water and pastoral or agricultural land. The case of ethnicbased federalism in ethiopia journal of. Today, federalism is increasingly suggested and applied as a politicalconstitutional mechanism to accommodate ethnic pluralism. This apparent empowerment of ethnicity represents a complete. There is growing concern that ethiopia s prime minister has failed to address rising ethnic tensions and violence.
Drivers of ethnic conflict in contemporary ethiopia. Introduction much has been written about ethiopia s twentythree year experiment with ethnic. Federalism and party politics in ethiopia download ebook. Since its inception in 1975, some concepts have remained constant for the tplf. It enshrines diversity issues as the government shall have the duty to support, on the. Federalism and the accommodation of ethnic diversity core. The question then is, why has ethnic based1 violence spiralled especially since. Ethnic politics in ethiopia and the church publish your. The oromo, amhara, somali and tigrayans make up more than threequarters 75% of the population, but there are more than 80 different ethnic groups. A national study conducted by moh on selected urban areas of ethiopia oromia, amahara, southern people and tigray howed s that youth couldnt properly utilize the available health service 7. Ethiopia the rise and reign of haile selassie i 191674. Ethnicity and power in ethiopia edinburgh research archive the. In most cases, they have ethnic overtones or involve ethnic groups. Among these are the power to choose its own working language, the.
A comparative study by tewodros yalew submitted to central european university department of political science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts. In contrast to those regions where a single titular group. Today, federal political systems are increasingly used by states with a multiethnic population as a mechanism to accommodate the demands of their ethnic groups as well as to protect their territorial integrity. When the current government came to power in 1991, reconfigured the country into different states based on ethnic dimension of diversity semela, 2014. It traces its origin to the kingdoms that emerged in the northern highlands in the fourth century. The historical trajectories of local ethnic polities. Federalism was introduced in ethiopia in 1991 when the ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front eprdf came to power and launched the idea of selfdetermination for the nationalities, up to and including secession, devolving political, administrative and economic power to ethnically defined regional states. The introduction of ethnic federalism in ethiopia after the fall of the marxist derg regime in 1991 has been the topic of a significant amount of academic discussion, but little attention has been given to the daytoday experience of this change. Ethnicity and constitutionalism in contemporary ethiopia.
The idea of ethnicity was tied to the claims that national oppression has existed in ethiopia and that the tigrean ethnic. Ethiopia is one of ethnically diverse nations in the world. Ethnic federalism and its discontents crisis group africa report n153, 4 september 2009 page 2 ii. Ethiopia s prime minister abiy ahmed has introduced dramatic reforms since assuming power more than nine months ago. Most governments in africa, seeing the political mobilisation of ethnicity as a threat, have rejected the use of ethnic differences as an explicit basis for political representation. Tplfs minority ethnic monopoly of the armed forces in.
The federal system is based on the constitutional conviction that ethnic groups in ethiopia have the right to self. The planned 2004 census has unfortunately been postponed. This multiplicity in language, religion, culture, tradition and the overall identity is actually a beauty for the country considering the fact that the peoples of ethiopia have had the culture of living together without any narrowly and shallowlyfocused ethnic belongingness. A means to an end daniel abebe the university of chicago law school draft prepared for conference from parchment to practice. The failure of the opposition to fill the power vacuum left behind by siad barre after his flight into exile in 1991 marked the beginning of disintegration of somalia. This book provides a detailed empirical study of this system at work in the complex multiethnic environment of southern ethiopia. Ethiopia s ancient system of feudal government experienced significant changes under haile selassie i reigned 193074, who carefully grafted onto the traditional governing institutions a weak parliament of appointed and elected legislators, a judiciary with modernized civil and criminal codes and a hierarchy of courts, and an executive. The 1994 ethiopian census indicates that there were 21,757 harari speakers. Despite the evolution of multiethnic ethiopia by territorial conquest, successive feudal regimes were embarked on hegemonic project of building a nationstate. These include ethnicity, vanguard leadership, and a statist economy.
The problem in ethiopia has historically not been limited to the excessive centralisation of power in the capital, but has also centred on the question of cultural marginalisation, assimilation. Opposition to the government which provides more detail on the political context and treatment of. Most governments in africa, seeing the political mobilisation of ethnicity as a threat, have rejected the use of ethnic differences as. Exploring the experience of the house of federation hof assefa fiseha, dr. The current regime of ethiopia eprdf implemented ethnic federalism and reshaped the state along ethnic lines as soon as it assumes political power in 1991. Violence in the country significantly increased and spread to new areas, and four times as many people were displaced as in the previous year.