Ethnic Federalism: A Tool for Managing or a Fuel for Ethnic Conflicts in Ethiopia

Alexander Haymanot Abrha

doi:10.7176/jcsd/50-03

Abstract

The overall objective of this study was to examine the Ethiopia’s ethnic based federal experiment whether it has been served as a tool for managing or a fuel for the ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia. After the collapse of the military regime in 1991, EPRDF adopted ethnic federalism since it was supposed to solve Ethiopia’s chronic ethnic inequalities generated by the flawed nation building process of the Ethiopian state. However, ethnic federalism since its adoption has had different implications for the country. The project has to be more researched. Therefore, the researcher, by taking the Ethiopia’s experiences into account, inspired to examine whether the present ethnically based political formation exacerbates or reduces ethnic conflicts throughout the country. The study used qualitative research methodology and it was based on an explanatory research design. The researcher collected data from secondary sources such as documents produced by EPRDF (the ruling party), opposition parties and from related literatures. The qualitative data was analyzed and interpreted qualitatively using words. All in all, the study concludes that ethnic based federal experiment has failed to manage ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia. It is therefore, recommended that Ethiopia should adopt a territorial federal arrangement to manage inter and intra ethnic conflicts in the country. Keywords: Federalism, Ethnic-Federalism, Ethnic Conflict, Ethnicity, Ethiopia . DOI : 10.7176/JCSD/50-03 Publication date :July 31 st 2019

Highlights

This study was conducted based on an explanatory research design for making a detail explanation about ethnic based federalism and its impacts towards inter and intra ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia
A number of politicians argued that ethnic based federal arrangement can be a means to reduce the problems created by inter-ethnic conflicts (Lijphart, 2002)
They believed that whereas the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia disintegrated during the same period, Ethiopia came up with new arrangement and continue to maintain its unity and internal integrity

Summary

Introduction

Background of the Study According to Lijphart (2002), federalism advocates self-rule and shared-rule in government arrangement with the division of powers and responsibilities through constitution between the central and regional governments. The longest lived federal arrangements in the world are experienced in the USA (1789), Switzerland (1848), Canada (1867), and Australia (1901). Ethiopia is a place to many diverse multiple communities with each having its own unique features. These identities are identified by their unique language, culture (e.g. way of dressing), religion, way of living etc. Diversity is an actual reality that our society is constructed by, considering the fact that the peoples of Ethiopia have had the culture of living together with the right to full measure of self-government, including the right to secession

Methods

Results

Conclusion