Emergence and Transformation of Territorially Based Cleavages and Constitutional Responses in Ethiopia

Abstract

This chapter examines the role played by territorially based, ethnonationalist forces in Ethiopia’s remarkable political transformation. It shows how the collapse of the socialist dictatorship and the victory of a coalition of ethnonationalist insurgent forces resulted in constitutional transition, culminating in a federal system designed to empower ethnonationalist groups at regional state level. This institutional design allowed such groups to exercise some self-rule at a regional level and ensure representation at the federal level, while also promoting relative peace and political stability across the country. The chapter first considers the context that led to the emergence and transformation of territorial cleavages in Ethiopia before discussing the period of constitutional engagement (1991–94) and its outcomes. It also considers the lessons that can be drawn from Ethiopia’s adoption of a federal system of government that places strong emphasis on ethnonationalism, along with challenges arising from decentralization, “ethnic federalism,” and political pluralism.