Federal Democratic Republic Of Ethiopia Research Articles

Politics of Secularism in Ethiopia: Repression or Co-option towards the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church?

Secularism in Ethiopia has not been practiced as stipulated in the 1995 Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE): separation of state and religion. Instead, consecutive regimes, since the introduction of secularism, have employed a tactic of co-option and repression towards the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) to meet their political objectives. This research article addresses the nature and manifestation of government intervention in the EOTC through either co-option and/or repression, with a special emphasis on the post-2018 regime. The study argues de-facto secularism in Ethiopia is far from the essence of separation of state and religion; it is a new version of religion industriously implemented by governments to upgrade the Orthodox Church in a way that fits with the political system. The secular regimes co-opted and repressed the church conditionally at any cost to the institution through a Machiavellian approach. The study also finds that the prosperity-led regime was actively involved in the internal affairs of the church in the early days through co-option in the name of reconciliation with the exile synod. In the later days, via repression, massive killings of orthodox followers, burning of churches, and restrictions on the church's annual ceremony, as in the case of Epiphany and Meskel (Demera), the regime oppressed the church.

Legislative Power over Mineral Resources in the Ethiopian Federation: Legal and Practical Challenges

The assignment of legislative power over mineral resources is a highly contentious issue in federal constitutional design. This article aims to shed light on this issue by examining the assignment and exercise of legislative powers over mineral resources in the Ethiopian Federation. A qualitative research approach was used which included analysis of laws, examining documents and in-depth interviews. The legal framework, policy documents, and decisions of government officials relating to legislative authority over mineral resources were scrutinized. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with key stakeholders involved in the matter to gain an understanding of the actual challenges and difficulties associated with the exercise of this power. An integrated data analysis approach is used. According to the analysis, the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia lacks clarity regarding legislative power over mineral resources. The study also reveals significant gaps in the institutional and legal frameworks governing the exercise of legislative power over mineral resources. These gaps have also resulted in the development of a legal framework that contradicts the principles laid out in the Constitution. The findings highlight the need to address the legal and practical challenges within the Ethiopian Federation.

The Politics of Secularism in Ethiopia: Repression and/or Co-option towards EOTC

Secularism in Ethiopia has not been practiced as stipulated in the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution, separation of state and religion. Instead consecutive regimes since the introduction of secularism employed a tactic of co-option and repression towards the Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) to meet their political objectives. This paper thus tried to address the nature and manifestation of government intervention in the EOTC through either cooption and/or repression with a special emphasis on the post 2018 regime. The study argues de-facto secularism in Ethiopia is far from the essence of separation of state and religion; it is a new version of religion industriously implemented by governments to upgrade the Orthodox Church in a way that fits with the political system. The secular regimes co-opted and repressed the church conditionally at any cost of the institution through Machiavellian approach. The study also finds that the Prosperity led regime was actively involved in the internal affairs of the church; in early days through co-option in the name of reconciliation with the exile synod. And in the later days via repression; massive killing of orthodox followers, burning of churches and restriction on church’s annual ceremony the like epiphany are the manifestations.

Do gender disparities in socioeconomic status affect Teff productivity? A comparative analysis in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies, and the recent political and economic reforms recognize the importance of empowering women and increasing their labour force participation. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution of 1995 recognized women’s right to equality and provides intervened to enable women to compete and participate in all spheres of life and to exercise their rights on equal grounds with men. Gender empowerment and gender equality are given national priority and positioned at the centre of all policy, legal, and institutional frameworks. Research suggests that women remain overrepresented in lower-skilled jobs, while carrying out the bulk of unpaid care work. Women also face multiple forms of deprivation, gender-based discrimination, lack of access to productive resources, intimate partner violence, lack of education and training, and employment. Persistent inequalities in ownership and control over assets, such as land, houses, and oxen negatively affect their productivity and livelihoods. This paper aims at answering the question “Do gender disparities in socioeconomic status affect Teff productivity in Ethiopia?” Using mixed methods, the study conducted a cross-sectional household survey. Purposive sampling was used to select top Teff-producing regions, districts, Kebeles, key informants and FGD participants while a random sampling method was used to select the survey respondents. Results suggest that, although women were fully engaged in Teff production activities, due to a low level of ownership of productive resources such as land, labour, and oxen, there is a statistically significant difference in Teff production between female and male-headed households which needs the attention of the government and stakeholders. The paper contributes to understanding how gender-based disparities in socioeconomic status affect Teff production.

Statehood exercises in Ethiopia and their jurisprudential significance: clarifying normative hurdles and addressing empirical challenges

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the unconditional right to self-determination claim of ethnic groups under the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Constitution, and how the demands for statehood have been handled since 2018. Using the Sidama and South-Western Ethiopian Peoples (SWEP) statehood exercise, this paper highlights the main issues and challenges concerning the process of claiming and achieving internal statehood. These include the principles of who has the right to vote in a statehood referendum, the matter of ethnic clustering to claim statehood, protecting the rights of minorities, the challenge of merging geographically distant Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (NNPs) into states, the transfer of power to the new state, and the division of assets and liabilities once a statehood claim is approved. It concludes that whilst the Constitution is flexible and allows for innovation, the Sidama and SWEP experiences demonstrate that it is now time for a review of the Constitution.

FROM FORMATION TO REDEFINITION: EXPLORING THE PRINCIPLES OF CONSTITUENT UNIT BOUNDARY (UN)MAKING IN THE ETHIOPIAN FEDERATION

This article examined the principles underlied the (un)making of constituent unit boundaries of the Ethiopian federation from its inception in 1992 until its redefinition in 1994. It organized the data using various media reports, retrieved life experiences from seven purposely chosen Key Informant Interviews, and conducted a qualitative analysis of documents. Accordingly, it revealed eight (8) principles that were utilized in the establishment of interregional states’ boundaries in Ethiopia, including the “four principles” enshrined in the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Constitution and the principles of agreement among and/or between adjacent nationalities, ethnoterritoriality, ethnoculturality, and ethnolinguisticity. It also revealed historical considerations and informal agreements between officials. It was discovered that the political objectives of ethno-national groupings dictated the implementation of these principles. It is discovered that interregional state boundaries making of the 1992 had a paramount ramifications for nationality groups’ ability to safeguard, promote, and preserve the ethnonational groups’ identities.

The Role of Community-Based Health Insurance in Empowerment of Women’s Health and Economic Rights in Ethiopia

The guarantee of fundamental health and economic rights and the role of gender equality are still relevant and quotidian topics, especially in developing countries. Despite the constitutional guarantees within the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, women’s status remains significantly lower than men’s, primarily due to lower income, limited access to education, and various social constraints. Due to the absence of social security, health insurance and lack of financial autonomy and self-sufficiency, females often could not access healthcare independently. This situation is changing for women and their families in Ethiopia. The study aims to assess the role of community-based health insurance (CBHI) in fostering the health and economic empowerment of women’s rights. The CBHI proves to be an effective means of social security that boosts the provision of health services to members of susceptible peoples, which can improve health knowledge, preventative healthcare measures, and maternal and child mortality rates. This initiative can considerably increase women’s access to healthcare services while also providing them with chances for economic empowerment. Those women who are CBHI members spend less on healthcare (reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures), allowing them to increase household income and allocate more resources towards other household expenses or savings. Due to the enrolment, women and other parts of their families have the opportunity for decision-making power and freedom to decide about their health because of financial constraints. Increasing access to the CBHI programs and ensuring that these are accessible to all women and other marginalised communities can help address gender disparities in healthcare access and economic opportunities, ultimately leading to a more equitable society.

Multimodal transport system challenges & prospects in Ethiopia

   The article examines the importance of transport for the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and also characterizes the existing state of the main types of land transport: road and rail. The article defines the territorial location of the industrial parks of Ethiopia, on the basis of which possible directions of multimodal transport corridors, existing, under construction and promising railway and road transport facilities are assigned. The external and internal factors influencing the formation of variants of the multimodal transport network scheme based on the methodology of designing theintegrated development of a multimodal transport network are determined. This will be used to develop the scheme of the multimodal transport network of Ethiopia. The scheme will become the basis for the formation of a variety of possible strategies for gradually changing the appearance and capacity of multimodal transport network facilities and calculating options for the required freight and passenger flows along multimodal transport corridors.

The Application of International Humanitarian Law in the Resolution of a Complex Humanitarian Crisis: A Case Study of the Tigray National Regional State of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

The subject of the study is the specifics of the application of international humanitarian law (IHL) to the resolution of the humanitarian crisis in the Ethiopian state of Tigray. Crimes against humanity committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean troops in the conditions of warfare have been studied. It is argued that according to Article 3 of the II Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Victims of War, the federal center of Ethiopia, which protects the sovereignty of the State, acts correctly by suppressing the rebels of Tigray. However, this is in contradiction with the UN Security Council resolution on the situation with human rights and the human situation in Ethiopia and the 2021 Human Rights Council resolution S-33/1 “The situation of human rights in Ethiopia” indicating Ethiopia’s violation of its international legal obligations with respect to civilians in armed conflict and IHL norms. Thus, the operation of IHL on the territory of the state is objectively suspended. The provisions and priorities of Refugee Law are considered separately in relation to the specifics of the refugee situation in Ethiopia, in particular the specifics of the Kampala Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa of 2009. It was found that both the federal authorities and the opposing belligerents controlling the settlements of internally displaced persons on the territory of Ethiopia, do not fulfill their obligations under the Сonvention, which refers to the need for urgent further development of regional international treaties on assistance to forced migrants.

The Forest Policy Process, Regulatory, and Institutional Frameworks in Ethiopia

The purpose of the study is to examine the trends of the forest policy process, its responses, legal frameworks, institutional developments, stakeholder relations, and stakeholder roles, as well as the major driving causes of the forest policy, regulatory, and institutional practices in Ethiopia. A qualitative content analysis method was employed for the study. The review of the literature is fundamentally based on data sources from archival and review of relevant empirical studies, as well as policy, legal, and strategy documents, supplemented with data sources from six key informants from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Ministry of Agriculture, FDRE Forest Development, and FDRE Environment Protection Authority who have relevant leadership and professional responsibilities in relation to forest policy, legal, and interdisciplinary issues. The result of the findings indicated that the trends were top-down and coercive. Moreover, the historical legacies of forest policy, legal, and institutional frameworks of past regimes have immensely affected the performance of the current forest policy and regulatory frameworks and their institutional strengths. Such an operation hindered public participation and resulted in poor forest policy outcomes. Therefore, the study recommends the urgency of creating strong inter-sectoral coordination in forest-related matters, ensuring participation, freeing institutional mandate allocation from the influence of the agriculture sector by balancing forest conservation and agriculture intensification, ensuring independent forest regulatory bodies across the tiers, providing the necessary implementation directives and guidelines, and giving adequate support to discharge their roles at the grassroots community level, as suggested. Key terms : Forest policy, regulatory, institutional framework, Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/13-3-02 Publication date: April 30 th 2023

Ground and tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Cicindelidae) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia: a provisional faunistic checklist based on literature data

A provisional checklist and a synopsis of published records and localities (occurrence data) in Ethiopia for ground and tiger beetles are presented. The checklist comprises 878 species, of which 313 (ca. 36%) are endemic or potentially endemic (i.e., so far not recorded from elsewhere) to Ethiopia. In addition, 36 Ethiopian endemic subspecies are listed. The known distribution of each species and subspecies is shown in grid cell-based distributional maps. An annotated gazetteer of included collection localities is provided with the respective synonymic names and variant spellings used in the literature.

The Pretoria Agreement: mere cessation of hostilities or heralding a new era in Ethiopia?

SUMMARY On 2 November 2022, welcome news came from Pretoria, South Africa. After 10 days of negotiations, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) signed a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. This piece situates the importance of the war, and more importantly the agreement, within the longue durée of Ethiopian politics and highlights its importance as a turning point marking the end of the era of the dominance of the TPLF and the beginning of the end of ethno-nationalism's hegemonic centrality to national politics, including at the expense of the Ethiopian state.

The new Ethiopian Hate Speech and Disinformation Prevention Proclamation: A Sign for Fracture of the Promises of the Reform?

This article studies the new Hate Speech and Disinformation prevention and suppression proclamation No. 1185/2020 that the government of Ethiopia endorsed recently. Contrary to the promises of Reform by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2018, the Law that has been ratified in 2020. The study employed the method of 'Qualitative Case study' with 'Evidence of Effect' and Realist approaches to the systematic review of literature on Ethiopian Reform and the procedures followed to ratify the draft Bill. It analyzed the draft bill document as a case study reflecting the current state of media freedom in Ethiopia. Supported by some key informant interviews, related literature on media pluralism, press freedom, news reports, and International Organizations such as Human Rights Watch and UNESCO on Hate Speech and Disinformation Proclamation are examined. The result shows that PM Abiy Ahmed has been very ambitious in early actions and decisions in the reform process. However, the internal political crises created polarization in the contents of various media and compelled the draft Law's ratification. The Document of the Proclamation Lacked Clarity in the definition of terms. As a result, it created misunderstandings in the implementation and justifications of the ratified proclamation, as disinformation is only one element of different types of misinformation. It is also unclear why the proclamation repealed the article it assumed to repeal in the Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, while there are other related articles. Furthermore, the Law will suppress press freedom and media pluralism which are potential democratic ideals as the country is heading for a democratic political transition. Therefore, to minimize government indiscretion, policymakers must reexamine the substance and drafting of the Law to close the gaps. To cite this article (7th APA style): Eranfeno, G. N. (2022). The new Ethiopian hate speech and disinformation prevention proclamation: A sign for fracture of the promises of the reform? Journal Communication Spectrum: Capturing New Perspectives in Communication 12(2), 112-123. https://doi.org/10.36782/jcs.v12i2.2186

The Demands and Contests of Constitutional Amendment in Ethiopia: Analysis on the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Constitution

The objective of this article is to explain the existing demands and contestations on the amendment of the current constitution of Ethiopia. It also aims at analysing the effects of the un-amendable constitution on the political system of the state. A qualitative study was employed to collect and analyse the required data. Both primary and secondary sources of data was collected through interview and the analysis of documents. Accordingly, the study indicated that the demands of constitutional amendment on the part of FDRE constitution is related to the illegitimate constitutional-making process, inadequate constitutional provisions and the presence of new emerging political dynamics. The rigid amendment rules, undemocratic nature of the regime and the deviation among political actors on the issue of amendment are the main contestations against the stated demands. At the end, the investigation showed that the political insecurity and declining of constitutional legitimacy are major effects of the un-amendable aspects of the FDRE constitution, which in turn undermine the required political reforms in the country.

Federalism, International Human Rights Law, Protection of Minority Rights, the Right to Self-determination and Conflict

This paper analyses the nexus between federalism, international human rights law, minority rights and the right to self-determination, noting in turn how the intersection of these affect the conflict regime in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE). The merits and demerits of federalism as an enabler for democracy and peace are measured through an assessment of how the FDRE Constitutional provisions and practices have enabled successful management of ethnic diversities, promotion of good governance, observation of human rights and promoting principles of equality and equity among the ethnic groups. The FDRE Constitution is assessed in terms of how it complies with IHRL, as well as how its leaders balance constitutional norm and practice. The analysis records a sharp irony and a huge gap between what the FDRE Constitution claims to provide for the citizens and what it enables in practice. This ‘constitutionalism deficit’ accounts for the rising levels of conflict in the country to date.

Diabetes mellitus and its association with central obesity, and overweight/obesity among adults in Ethiopia. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Nowadays, diabetes mellitus is a serious public health problem in Ethiopia that has a profound impact on the health care system. However, no systematic synthesis and meta-analysis has been performed to depict the national prevalence. Hence, we authors aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its association with central obesity, overweight/obesity among adults in Ethiopia. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 eligible studies on the national prevalence of DM and its association with central obesity, and overweight/obesity among adults in Ethiopia. We searched PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Embase, and Google Scholar, from August 01 up to October 28, 2021, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of studies. Analysis was done using STATA version 14 software. Heterogeneity was checked using the I-squared test, and the publication bias was examined by funnel plot and eggers test. Moreover, Sensitivity analysis was done to check the influence of small studies on the outcome. The trim and fill analysis was performed to estimate the potentially missing articles because of publication bias. Total of 15 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included and the pooled prevalence of diabetes mellitus of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was 6.26 (95%CI: 4.74-7.78). In the subgroup analysis, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among the studies conducted in 2017 and before was 4.56 (95%CI: 2.98-6.14) but in studies done after 2017 was 7.55(95%CI: 4.69-10.41). The burden of diabetes mellitus was 5.79 times higher among those adults who had central obesity (OR = 5.79; 95%CI; 3.14-10.70), 5.70 times higher among adults who had overweight/obesity (OR = 5.70, 95%CI: 3.35-9.70). The national prevalence of diabetes mellitus among adults in Ethiopia was higher and associated with central obesity, and overweight/obesity. Hence, the government of Ethiopia and stakeholders should give attention to strengthen the current health system regarding non-communicable diseases like diabetes mellitus and obesity/overweight.

Ethiopia has a long way to go meeting adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health needs

Ethiopia has the second-largest youth population in Africa with about 37.4 million people aged 10–24 years. To meet the needs of this population group, adolescent, and youth health (AYH) programs, including those focused on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and youth development, have gained traction in Ethiopia in the last two decades, especially following the 2005 election in Ethiopia. However, adolescents and youths in Ethiopia continue to face a high burden of morbidity and mortality from multiple factors including, teenage pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy, compromised nutrition, HIV and STIs, unsafe abortion, early and child marriage, and unmet needs for family planning. To date, adolescents and youth-related interventions in Ethiopia are fragmented under various ministries, uncoordinated, underfunded, project-oriented, lack effective policy implementation, and lack meaningful participation of young people. Addressing adolescents and youth health and development issues require evidence-based, well-tailored, at scale, intensified, coordinated, and holistic national responses. Therefore, there is a need to advocate for a realization of robust government commitment to ensure a multi-sectoral, coordinated, at scale, and well-funded national response to address the multifaceted needs of young people in Ethiopia including their sexual and reproductive health. An example to emulate is the HIV/AIDS response in Ethiopia, which was led by a national council chaired by the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and spearheaded by a secretariat leveraging resources and implementing a multisectoral national plan down to the kebele level.

Determinants of Turnover Intention: The Case of Ministry of Federal and Pastoralist Development Affairs in Ethiopia

Turnover is when a member of an organization leaves his or her organization willingly. On the other hand, turnover intention is the prevalence of thoughts of an employee and strength of the tendency to leave a current job. Employee retention is one of the challenges facing several organizations all over the world. It is profitable to proactively react to possible staff turnover intentions. Ministry of Federal and Pastoralist Development Affairs is one of the core organizations of the executive body of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. For the last six years, 300 new employees joined the organization replacing the exit which is almost equal to the total position of the organization. Even though the problem exists, there is a lack of scientific studies which can show the cause and recommends possible solutions towards the issue. Identifying the determinants of turnover intention is the main purpose of this study. The online survey questionnaire was administered to more than 150 members of the staff using their email and social media accounts using the purposive and snowball sampling technique. 101 valid responses were collected from Sept. 9, 2018, to Oct. 17, 2018. In analysing the data SPSS software and AMOS were used and the result shows that organizational justice, pay satisfaction, person-organization fit and performance appraisal politics has strong statistical relation with turnover intention in the Ministry. From the socio-demographic characteristics, years of service have strong statistical relation with turnover intention. Theoretical and practical implications were also drawn from the result of this study.

Determinants of Bamboo Deforestation in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia

In Benishangul-Gumuz, one of the nine regional states of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, bamboo considered as an important cash crop; while serves as immediate source of income. However, currently, despite its importance in sustaining the livelihood of farmers, the depletion of bamboo forest appears to be a serious problem. Previous studies have examined the causes and processes of bamboo deforestation in this particular area. Yet, they are deficient in several respects particularly in prioritizing and substantiating the effects of each variables that determine the deforestation. As a result, little is known regarding factors influencing the magnitude of bamboo deforestation. The present study aimed at estimating the intensity of bamboo deforestation and identifying the deriving factors that contributed for the depletion of the forest. To this end, the study utilized cross-sectional survey to select 384 households, through multistage stratified random sampling and purposive sampling. Also, focus group discussions and key informant interview were employed to gather data from farmers, members cooperatives, employees and experts. Descriptive and econometric analyses were employed to analyze the data. Then, the results of thr has showed, between the years of 2009 and 2013 averagely about 0.014 hectare of bamboo forest was deforested and converted to agricultural land. These implies that if this pattern continues the entire bamboo stock of the region will be lost within a short period of time. Of the fourteen explanatory variables, that included in the Tobit regression model eight were significantly affected the intensity of bamboo deforestation, with predicted probability of 0.158 hectare per annum. Ownership of oxen, shifting cultivation and perception towards the nature of bamboo forest were the three major factors seem to have contributed positively to the intensity of bamboo deforestation; whereas, gender of the heads the households, family size, proximity to bamboo forest, duration in residence and participation in collective forest management action influenced the situation negatively. Policies for restraining the pace of deforestation should be enforced. Keywords: Bamboo deforestation, Tobit, Benishangul Gumuz region, Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/84-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2022

An Analysis of the Status of Women Leadership in Education Sector of the Catchment Areas of Wolaita Sodo University

The purpose of this study was to investigate causes for the underrepresentation of women in top positions of the education sector of the catchment areas of Wolaita Sodo University. Hence, to realize this purpose, secondary school teachers, principals of secondary schools, and supervisors of all levels, and heads of education offices and departments of Dawro and Wolaita administrative zones were used as the target population. In order to make the study manageable, the sample secondary schools teachers were selected by simple random sampling technique, and principals and supervisors were selected through purposive sampling techniques. Descriptive survey research design and concurrent mixed approaches were applied. Both close-ended and open-ended questionnaires and unstructured interviews were used to collect data. Frequency counts, and percentages were employed for quantitative data through close-ended questionnaire. Data through qualitative questionnaire were narrated and used for the sake of triangulation. The finding showed that women were underrepresented due to self-related factors, socio-cultural factors, institutional factors, economic factors, and political-legal factors in the leadership positions of secondary and primary schools, principal ship positions, and supervisory positions. Thus, it was concluded that though the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has taken a number of affirmative actions and stipulated the issue of empowering women in the constitution, yet women were strikingly underrepresented in Dawro and Wolaita zones of south Ethiopia, particularly in the education sector. Therefore, it was recommended that taking into account that women are half the population, talented in leadership and management and the advantage of gender diversity in educational leadership institutions, government and the large society should strive towards empowering women. Keywords: underrepresentation, women, women leadership, leadership DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-10-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2022