Paper on: Human Rights Entitle to Preserve Separate Identity under the FDRE Constitution: Problems, Challenges and Future Trends

Abstract

The 1995 FDRE Constitution establishes an ethnic based federal state structure. The new political system recognizes the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Ethiopian Nations, Nationalities and Peoples to exercise the right to self-determination up to and including secession and other identity related rights as solutions to the earlier unequal relationships among ethno-national groups in the country. With that in mind, this paper has four main parts. First, it states the constitutional recognition of ethnic groups under the constitution. In the second part, an attempt will be made to examine the rights that help to preserve separate identity and related right in the FDRE constitution. Third, it analyzes the challenges and problems to exercise the rights entitle to separate identity in the perspective of ethnic federalism in Ethiopia. Fourth, it attempts to speculate on its future prospects. And finally, it concludes by summarizing the main points of all sections.