Federalism in Africa: The Case of Ethnic-based Federalism in Ethiopia

Authors

  • Wondwosen Teshome University of Vienna
  • Jan Záhořík Department of Anthropology,

Keywords:

Africa, Ethiopia, federalism, ethnic-federalism, secession, ethnicity

Abstract

Ethiopia adopted ethnic federalism and restructured the regions along ethnic lines as soon as the EPRDF took political power by overthrowing the Marxist military government in 1991. The aim of this paper is to examine the merits and the demerits of federalism. The paper particularly assesses federalism in Africa by taking the case of Ethiopia as an example. The paper argues that in order to ensure the success of federalism, it should not be imposed from above. Since its introduction in 1991 and officially sanctioned in the country’s 1994 Constitution, ethnic federalism and Article 39 of the Constitution that awarded the self-rule states (regions) the right to secede has become the major source of intense debate. For some, ethnic federalism and the right to secede discourage ethnic tensions in the country and encourage the various ethnic groups to live together peacefully. However, for others, this “experiment” can go out of hand and may lead the country into never-ending ethnic wars and eventually to disintegration. This paper, by taking into account of Ethiopia’s and other countries’ experiences, will examine both sides of the arguments.

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Author Biographies

Wondwosen Teshome, University of Vienna

Dr. Wondwosen Teshome is a researcher at the Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna. He completed his Ph. D (in Anthropology) with distinction. He has published many scientific papers and books. His research interests include Medical Anthropology, Social Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Political Science, International Relations, Gender study, and History.

Jan Záhořík, Department of Anthropology,

Dr. Jan Záhořík, is a researcher and Professor at the

Department of Anthropology, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen.

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Published

2008-10-03

How to Cite

Teshome, W., & Záhořík, J. (2008). Federalism in Africa: The Case of Ethnic-based Federalism in Ethiopia. Journal of Human Sciences, 5(2). Retrieved from https://www.j-humansciences.com/ojs/index.php/IJHS/article/view/506

Issue

Section

Political Science