Modern Africa (Dec 2014)
Ethiopian Ethnic Federalism: A “God-Sent” Opportunity for All Ethnic Groups?
Abstract
Results of the implementation of Ethiopian ethnic federalism are remarkably anomalous even after this political order has been in place for more than two decades. Among others, the anomaly is evident within the range of ethnic groups existing at the local level. In particular minorities that share a federal state within majorities have not obtained equitable positive change from the federal system. Investigation of the impact on their social, economic, and political life shows that indeed they are inadequately accommodated to the extent they are promised at the level of constitutional promulgation. For some, the era of federalism has become even the era of old and/ or new predicaments. As an illustration, this article assesses the case of a minority group Known as Kumpal in the lowland of Northwest Ethiopia. Among the all-rounded problems of the Kumpal, the paper only takes into account the case of the unchecked influx of the highland population into their land and some of the predicaments ensuing from them.
