Publication

This publication tackles the question of why Ethiopia has witnessed spiraling ethnic violence since 2018, in part coinciding with the onset of political liberalization in the country. Key findings include 1) a major reason for the fighting is the sharp rise in contending militant nationalism based on an ethnic identity, or ethnic nationalisms; 2) the fragility of the state and political parties has created an environment conducive to the proliferation of violent conflicts; and 3) ethnic nationalisms are partly by-products of political systems put in place by successive governments to manage ethnic divisions. The author contends that to secure stability, top-level and nationwide political negotiations as well as strengthened state resilience are required.