Oromo Nationalism or Pan-Ethiopianism?

Ethiopia Insight published on 23 February 2020 a commentary titled "Oromo Nationalism in the Era of Prosperity Party" by Nagessa Dube, a lawyer in Minneapolis.

The author describes the conflicting views among Ethiopia's Oromo between a preference for Oromo nationalism or support for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's pan-Ethiopian Prosperity Party.

Ethiopia: Revolutionary Democracy versus Liberal Democracy

Ethiopia Insight published on 3 November 2019 a commentary titled "Liberal Democracy Is No Liberator" by Emmanuel Yirdaw, an undergraduate student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The author compares Meles Zenawi's revolutionary democracy with Abiy Ahmed's liberal democracy but seems to be skeptical that liberal democracy will correct the glaring mistakes of revolutionary democracy.

Ethiopia: Argument Against Elections in 2020

Ethiopia Insight published on 24 September 2019 a commentary titled "Breaking an Electoral Suicide Pact" by Olaana Abbaaxiiqi, a lawyer living in the United States who uses a pen name.

The author suggests there are dangers in going forward with scheduled national elections in 2020, especially when there are now about 140 political parties and a postponement of the national census.

Ethiopia Faces Political Uncertainty

Ethiopia Insight published on 21 October 2018 an analysis titled "Ethiopia: Climbing Mount Uncertainty" by Rene Lefort, who has written on African issues since the 1970s.

The author argues that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made three huge strategic errors as he announced his reform program. There are now four future scenarios, all of which are steep and tortuous as Ethiopia faces a mountain of uncertainty.

Surveillance and State Control in Ethiopia

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 18 May 2017 a study titled "Surveillance and State Control in Ethiopia" by Saskia Brechenmacher.

The author argues that the closing of civic space in Ethiopia has the following key features:

--Harsh restrictions on foreign funding for civil society organizations working on a wide range of politically related issues.
--Violent repression of civic mobilization in the name of counterterrorism and anti-extremism.
--Efforts to bring all independent civil society groups--including development and humanitarian actors--in line with the government's national development policy.

China's Political Calculus in Ethiopia

The South African Institute of International Affairs published in January 2017 a paper titled "Own Ways of Doing: National Pride, Power and China's Political Calculus in Ethiopia" by Romain Dittgen, University of Witwatersrand, and Abel Abate Demissie, political analyst in Addis Ababa.

The paper focuses on peace and security, human security, and governance and capacity building. It explores the nature of political cultures and concepts of power in Ethiopia and looks at the ways in which China navigates this complex political landscape while seeking to expand its bargaining power in the country.

Ethiopia and Ethnic Federalism

Foreign Policy published on 29 August 2016 an analysis titled "Behind the Violence in Ethiopia: Will Its Experiment with Ethnic Federalism Work?" by Harry Verhoeven, Qatar campus of Georgetown University.

The author argues that following the recent protests in Ethiopia, the EPRDF faces a crisis of authority, with both its legitimacy and its effectiveness in question.

ESAT Television Program on Democracy

The Washington-based TV station ESAT asked me to join a program focused on democracy.  Assegid Habtewold was the moderator and Getachew Metaferia, political science professor at Morgan State University, was the other participant. 

The wide ranging hour long program covered democracy, freedom, prosperity, Francis Fukuyama and the end of history, Hegel, Marx, globalization, technology, the Arab Spring, revolutionary democracy and developmental democracy in Ethiopia.