Ethnic Federalism – The Root Cause of Ethiopia’s Misery
The root cause of Ethiopia’s misery lies in its constitution, which is based on a system of divide-and-rule ethnic federalism. The ethnic conflicts now threatening to tear Ethiopia apart are the direct result of the 1994 Constitution, introduced by then-Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). That constitution recast the nation from a unified republic into a federation of nine ethnically defined regional states and two federally administered city-states.
This system has been troubled from the start by internal inconsistencies. Ethnic groups do not live exclusively in a single “homeland” but are widely dispersed across the country, meaning that non-native ethnic minorities exist within every so-called ethnic state. As a result, the system has institutionalized ethnic divisions, fueled competition for resources and power, and inflamed ethnic tensions and violence.
Peace and stability in Ethiopia depend on abandoning this ideology of ethnic division and launching a national project to revise the constitution. The current constitution was deliberately designed to exacerbate ethnic divisions, and if left unchanged, it will continue to lead Ethiopia toward destruction.
We, in the Ethiopian American community, firmly believe that the focus on ethnicity has overshadowed democracy, human rights, and economic equality in Ethiopia. Political elites have repeatedly manipulated ethnic differences for personal and political gain, worsening tensions and fueling cycles of violence. In recent years, ethnic federalism has been directly linked to rising ethnic clashes, mass displacement, and human suffering.
For Ethiopia to build a peaceful and prosperous future, the country must move beyond ethnic federalism and embrace a constitutional framework that promotes unity, equality, democracy, and the protection of all citizens—regardless of ethnicity.
Urgent Call to All Ethiopians
On behalf of the Coalition of Ethiopian-American Civic Organizations, we urgently invite all Ethiopians to attend the Ethiopian Constitutional Conference and Forum on Human Rights Abuses and Attacks on Religious Freedom in Ethiopia, to be held on:
Wednesday, October 1st
9:30 a.m.
U.S. House of Representatives, Rayburn Building, Conference Room 2168
This is a historic opportunity to give voice to the voiceless Ethiopians back home and stand together against the ongoing atrocities, particularly the systematic human rights abuses targeting the Amhara people and attacks on religious freedom.
Please register at Eventbrite.
Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission Engages Diaspora in North America Agenda-collection Forum
Ethiopia lacks an independent judiciary, parliament, and institutions. Most opposition figures, journalists, authors, and parliament members are imprisoned for speaking out, including Christian Tadele and Tadios Tantu. Their crime was simply expressing the voices of the voiceless. The National Dialogue Commission, handpicked by the Abiy regime, lacks independence. Its work has been plagued by government interference.
The National Dialogue Commission’s website mentions its vision to achieve national consensus on fundamental national issues. Its values include inclusivity, clarity, credibility, neutrality, rationality, context orientation, partnership and cooperation, efficiency, and effectiveness.
These are admirable values, but how will they be achieved without an independent judiciary, a robust civil society, a functioning parliament, and other essential institutions?
Many Ethiopian civic organizations in the United States are vocal critics of the Commission, questioning its neutrality.
Furthermore, many opposition parties in Ethiopia have withdrawn from the Commission’s call to join their agendas. In fact, the Abiy regime’s propaganda machine has been working to confuse the general population, critics say, as another way for Abiy Ahmad Ali to maintain his power.
According to flyers distributed by the DC Ethiopian Americans Task Force, organizers have issued a call for Ethiopian Americans in the Washington, DC area to join a peaceful protest this Saturday. The demonstration is being organized to voice strong opposition and to denounce the Commission’s planned gathering at the Washington Watergate Hotel.
Amnesty International report: Since April 2023, the Abiy regime has engaged in a war of aggression against Amhara and its people, as Abiy attempts to consolidate power through military force. To this end, Abiy sent federal troops into Amhara under the pretext of “disarming regional forces”, while other regions of Ethiopia remain heavily armed.
Mesfin Mekonen
Mesfin Mekonen is the author of Washington Update, a bulletin about Ethiopia’s struggle for freedom and prosperity, and founder of MM Management.
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