Interpreting Ethiopia's Constitution

 Ethiopia Insight published on 13 February 2026 a commentary titled "Reimagining Ethiopia's Constitutional Architecture" by Nagessa Dube, a lawyer in Seattle, Washington.

The author argues that Ethiopia needs constitutional reform.  Courts now have almost no authority to interpret the constitution; it is in the hands of a political body.  He believes constitutional interpretation needs to be transferred to an independent judiciary and the ongoing National Dialogue offers a rare chance to make this change.  

Ethiopia Releases 7 Oromo Liberation Front Prisoners

 The Voice of America published on 5 September 2024 an article titled "Ethiopia Releases Opposition Politicians from Prison" by Tsehay Damtew.

Ethiopia released this week 7 Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) members who have been in prison since 2020.   The United States welcomed the release of the OLF prisoners.

Extra-judicial Killings in Ethiopia's Oromia Region

 Reuters published on 23 February 2024 an investigative report titled "In Ethiopia, A Secret Committee Orders Killings and Arrests to Crush Rebels" by Giulia Paravicini.

Following interviews with more than 30 officials, judges, lawyers, and victims in Oromia region, a Reuters' investigation concluded that a secretive committee known as Koree Nageenyaa has ordered extra-judicial killings and illegal detentions to crush an insurgency led by the Oromo Liberation Army.  

Envisioning a Stable South Sudan

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington published on 29 May 2018 a series of visions by scholars, security practitioners, and civil society leaders on strategic issues South Sudan must address if it is to make a transition from its current state of disarray to a more stable future.


The series includes the following visions:

--Three Trajectories Facing South Sudan by Luka Kuol.
--Context and the Limits of International Engagement in Realizing Durable Stability in South Sudan by Lauren Hutton.
--Taming the Dominant Gun Class in South Sudan by Majak D'Agoot.
--Durable Stability in South Sudan: What Are the Prerequisites? by Phillip Kasaija Apuuli.
--Security Sector Stabilization: A Prerequisite for Political Stability in South Sudan by Remember Miamingi.
--Confronting the Challenges of South Sudan's Security Sector: A Practitioner Perspective by Kuol Deim Kuol.
--Blurring the Lines: Ethnicity, Governance, and Stability in South Sudan by Lauren Hutton.
--The Rule of Law and the Role of Customary Courts in Stabilizing South Sudan by Godfrey Musila.
--Navigating the Competing Interests of Regional Actors in South Sudan by Luka Kuol.

Is Justice Possible during South Sudan's Civil War?

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published on 15 March 2018 a commentary titled "Is Justice Possible during South Sudan's Civil War?" by Peter Fabricius, ISS consultant.

Based on two recent death sentences, including one for a South African national, handed down recently by a court in Juba, the author suggests that probably no one is getting real justice in South Sudan.

Three Somali-Americans Found Guilty of Tryng to Join IS

The New York Times published an article on 3 June 2016 titled "3 Somali-Americans Found Guilty of Trying to Join Islamic State" by Jack Healy and Matt Furber.

The convictions capped an investigation that began in 2014 and led to six other young men pleading guilty to terrorism charges. Unlike earlier cases where a small number of Somali-Americans joined al-Shabaab, these young men tried to join the Islamic State.

Post-Transition Somalia: Ingredients for Peace-Building

Abukar Sanei, director of the Columbus, Ohio-based Center for Policy Analysis and Research, an independent Somali-American think tank, published on 1 January 2014 a research paper titled "Post-Transition Somalia: Ingredients for Peace-Building."

Sanei argues there are four ingredients for peace-building in Somalia: genuine reconciliation, a unified vision for state-building, effective security apparatus, and a strong judiciary system.  He also argues there is a need for two types of genuine reconciliation.  The first is public reconciliation to heal the wounds of civil war.  The second is political reconciliation among Somali leaders.

Sanei concludes that it is necessary to establish a strong judicial system that can produce tough laws against crimes that are routinely committed as well as interfere in the political crises that are related to the existing legal system. 

Investment Study for Mekelle, Ethiopia

The Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI), an initiative of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, in cooperation with the UN Development Program recently published an 83-page study titled "Invest in Ethiopia: Focus Mekelle."

This study covers one of the eleven cities in eight African countries in an effort to attract more foreign direct investment. 

The other cities in the project are Accra and Kumasi, Ghana; Kisumu, Kenya; Blantyre, Malawi; Bamako and Segou, Mali; Akure and Kaduna, Nigeria; Louga, Senegal; and Tabora, Tanzania.

The detailed study looks at:

• Opportunities for investors
• Incentives, special zones and related matters
• The business environment
• Taxation in Ethiopia
• Legal framework for investment
• Investor assessment of the investment climate
• Foreign investors in Ethiopia