The Conversation published on 24 September 2026 a commentary titled "Maps Can Be Misleading--On Purpose--and Their Story Becomes History. The Case of Ethiopia" by Daniel Waktola.
The author explains how maps on Ethiopian social media and in school textbooks inflated boundaries and engaged in outright disinformation, a practice known as maptivism. These inaccurate maps then become evidence about who belongs where, who governs where, and who owns what.
African Arguments posted on 26 September 2026 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Foretold War Arrives" by Matthew de Waal.
Although the strength of Ethiopia's new anti-government alliance is questionable and the Tigray People's Liberation Front is divided, the current conflict in Ethiopia is occurring during a war in neighboring Sudan, Houthi attacks disrupting shipping in the Red Sea, and ongoing terrorist activity in Somalia. The conflict in Ethiopia could metastasize into a regional conflagration.
The BBC posted on 21 September 2026 an article titled "Seven Ethiopia Rebel Groups Form New Alliance" by Michael Teferi and Basillioh Rukanga.
The Fano militia in Amhara region, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and four smaller organizations in Somali, Afar, and Benishangul-Gumuz regions have created a coalition named Alliance for Survival to oppose the Abiy Ahmed government.
The Emirates Policy Center published on 7 July 2026 an analysis titled "Ethiopia's Seventh Elections: Challenges of Internal Stability and Repercussions on Regional Politics."
The huge victory by the ruling Prosperity Party in Ethiopia's recent parliamentary elections did not resolve the crisis of political legitimacy, as the electoral process remained characterized by a precarious security environment, inequitable competition, and a significant lack of voter turnout in numerous regions.
Foreign Affairs published on 26 May 2026 an article titled "The War in Ethiopia Isn't Over" by Hilary Matfess, University of Denver.
As Ethiopia prepares to hold national elections on June 1, Tigray Region remains combustible, and insurgencies continue in several other regions.
Ethiopia Insight published on 28 March 2026 a commentary titled "Ethiopia Heads to Elections Amid War and Instability" by Eyob Tilahun Abera, Mekelle University.
Ethiopia is scheduled to have national elections in June. Scattered conflict in Amhara, Tigray, and Oromia regions poses serious challenges to organizing and campaigning. The author argues that elections held under such conditions could deepen divisions within the country.
Ethiopia Insight published on 28 August 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's National Dialogue Seeks to Smooth the Path to Constitutional Reform" by Leul Estifanos.
The commentary discusses the status of Ethiopia's three-year-old National Dialogue Commission with a focus on the prospects for amending the constitution.
Ethiopia Insight published on 24 July 2025 an article titled "Under Two Flags: Life in Dembi Dollo" by Ermias Tasfaye, an Ethiopia Insight reporter based in Oromia.
The town of Dembi Dollo in western Oromia is at the center of the region's long conflict between the Ethiopian state and Oromo nationalism. The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) is waging an insurgency against the federal government. Dembi Dollo town remains under government control because of heavy security while the OLA dominates the countryside. Dembi Dollo is griped with fear.
Ethiopia Insight published on 16 July 2025 a commentary titled "Red Sea Reckonings: Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Unraveling of Pretoria" by Dahilon Yassin Mohamoda.
The Pretoria Agreement, signed in 2022, has not resulted in stability in Ethiopia. Instead, alliances are fraying, old rivalries are reigniting, and fragile new fault lines are emerging. A deterioration in Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea follows an effort by Addis Ababa to develop an outlet to the Red Sea.
Ethiopia Insight published on 25 June 2025 a commentary titled "Othering in Disguise: Nationalism, Regionalism, and the Search for Civic Belonging in Ethiopia" by Daniel Hailu, a multidisciplinary researcher.
The author argues that Ethiopia's political landscape is shaped by two powerful, often contradictory forces: nationalism, which unites people under a shared identity, and regionalism or federalism, which seeks to empower marginalized groups through autonomy. But within both "isms" is a tendency to define oneself by negating the other. To build enduring unity, Ethiopia must cultivate a culture where identity is not weaponized.
Ethiopia Insight published on 16 May 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia on the Brink" by Abraham Sahilu Abegaz, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Amsalu Lemlemu Adane, Anadolu University in Turkey.
The authors concluded that Ethiopia is facing a growing crisis of governance that calls into question its continued ability to function as a state under international law.
Ethiopia Insight published on 16 April 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Capital Problem" by Hambisa Belina, Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.
The author argues that as the capital city of Addis Ababa rapidly develops, "much of the nation is suffering and decaying." The gap is growing between the wealthy few and the poor majority and the current trajectory is unsustainable.
Ethiopia Insight published on 12 March 2025 a commentary titled "Peace through Diplomacy Desperately Needed in the Horn" by Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Medical University of South Carolina.
The author argues that the Horn of Africa is on the verge of another conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The European Union and the United States must act decisively to discourage incendiary rhetoric from all sides before the region sinks further into crisis.
Ethiopia Insight published on 17 October 2024 a commentary titled "Peace--and Justice--Remain Elusive in Oromia" by Siyanne Mekonnen, freelance journalist based in Ethiopia.
There is no end in sight to the conflict in Oromia. The way forward requires all stakeholders to come to the table and rectify historical privileges that have contributed to the marginalization of certain ethnic groups. The author concludes such a harmonious outcome is a distant dream.
Ethiopia Insight published on 13 September 2024 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Endless Constitutional Chasm and Authoritarian Abyss" by Leul Estifanos, freelance court reporter.
There seems to be a consensus that Ethiopia needs to make changes in its 1995 constitution, but there is no consensus on what the final document should look like. Finding a consensus is even more difficult in Ethiopia's current political environment. The situation today is exacerbated because even the existing constitution is not being fully implemented.
Ethiopia Insight published on 9 July 2024 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Next Steps along a Troubled Road to Democracy" by Nebiyu Daniel Meshesha, former Ethiopian diplomat.
Since the government established the National Dialogue Commission in December 2021, it has done little to bring armed groups and opposition parties that declined to participate into the process. The author argues it is essential to include all key stakeholders. If the government moves forward without them, the process cannot achieve a legitimate outcome.
Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published on 3 July 2024 an analysis titled "Without Peace in Ethiopia, Transitional Justice Will Be Difficult" by Tadesse Simie Metekia, ISS Addis Ababa, Tessema Simachew Belay, Bahir Dar University, and Wubeshet Kumelachew Tiruneh, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
One of the primary goals of Ethiopia's policy is to end the cycle of violence through institutional reform. The authors argue, however, that without first ending ongoing conflicts and addressing the structural issues that led to the fighting, it might be impossible to guarantee the non-recurrence of violations.
Ethiopia Insight published on 29 May 2024 a commentary titled "Persecuted Amharas Have Nowhere Else to Flee to" by an anonymous author.
The commentary focuses on the violence Amhara face as minorities living outside of Amhara Region and due to conflict in Amhara Region because of conflict between Fano militia and central government security forces. The author foresees no early end to these challenges.
The Rift Valley Institute published in 2024 a paper titled "Prosperity to the Periphery? The Politics of Resource Extraction in Ethiopia, Post-2018" by Jonah Wedekind.
The Abiy Ahmed government sought to reform the governance of resource extraction and revenue distribution by sharing them more fairly with politically marginalized regions. The author concludes that despite the ruling Prosperity Party's pledge to redress Ethiopia's center-periphery model of politics, the balance of power vis-a-vis peripheral regions and the political center has not shifted fundamentally.
Foreign Affairs posted on 8 April 2024 a commentary titled "Ethiopia Back on the Brink" by Alex de Waal and Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, both with the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University.
The authors point out that the war in Tigray Region has been followed by rebellion in Amhara Region and continuing unrest in Oromia. Famine threatens both Tigray and Amhara Regions. The United Arab Emirates is keeping the Abiy Ahmed government afloat but is also encouraging reckless projects.
