Politics and Resource Extraction in Ethiopia

 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.  

Ethio Telecom, Privatization, Debt, and China

 Ethiopia Insight posted on 31 August 2020 a commentary titled "The Case for Partial Privatization of Ethio Telecom" by Fentaw Abitew, George Mason University.

Ethio telecom is not a cash cow as has often been claimed.  It is an indebted, malfunctioning liability holding back Ethiopia's economy.  Partial privatization will bring substantial opportunities for Ethiopia if supported by appropriate processes and public trust.  It should also help protect security interests by reducing debt exposure and reliance on Chinese infrastructure.  

Ethiopia: Privatizing Telcom

Ethiopia Insight posted on 27 May 2020 an analysis titled "Let the Competition Begin!" by Samuel Gebre, Ethiopia-based journalist.

Ethiopia has issued a call for bidders to replace one of the world's few remaining state telcom monopolies, known as Ethio Telecom.  This will be a dramatic change for Ethiopian telecommunications.  A half dozen telcom companies have expressed interest so far.   

Ethiopia and Zimbabwe: Two Different Outcomes

Foreign Policy posted on 6 September 2019 a commentary titled "Why Ethiopia Sailed While Zimbabwe Sank" by Hilary Matfess, Yale University, and Alexander Noyes, Rand Corporation.

The authors conclude that Robert Mugabe's brutal legacy lives on in Zimbabwe through the system he and Emmerson Mnangagwa created, while Ethiopia stands on the brink of real change.

Ethiopia: Moving from Meles' to Abiy's Economy

Ethiopia Insight posted on 10 June 2019 a commentary titled "From Meles' 'Dead End' to Abiy's 'New Horizon'" by William Davison, editor of Ethiopia Insight.

The author argues that former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's concept of state-directed development is not the answer for Ethiopia. Abiy Ahmed's "New Horizon" offers more promise, although it not entirely clear what that policy entails.

Articles on the Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa Strategic Studies Center (HASS) in Ankara, Turkey published in November 2018 the first issue of the HASS Quarterly Bulletin that contains four short essays dealing with the Horn of Africa.

The articles are:

--Revitalizing regional economic integration in the Horn of Africa and the ongoing political change in Ethiopia by Abdulqadir Adem
--Can a shift in foreign policy tools address the deadly tensions of the Horn of Africa neighbors? by Muzeyen Hawas
--Is privatization the perceived quick fix for Ethiopian economy? by Abdu Seid
--How Ethiopia outperformed Eritrea economically by Abdurezack Hussein

Optimistic View of Ethiopia's Future

The New African published on 23 January 2019 a commentary titled "Ethiopia: Suddenly, Everything Is Possible" by Mimi Alemayehou, director of the Black Rhino Group and former executive vice president of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

In an optimistic assessment of Ethiopia's future, the author argues that the country may finally have a generation of energetic leaders capable of transforming the nation for decades to come.