Federalism and Conflict Management in Ethiopia. Case Study of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State. Item Type Thesis Authors Gebremichael, Mesfin Rights <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by- nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. Download date 27/09/2021 18:40:17 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5388 University of Bradford eThesis This thesis is hosted in Bradford Scholars – The University of Bradford Open Access repository. Visit the repository for full metadata or to contact the repository team © University of Bradford. This work is licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence. Federalism and Conflict Management in Ethiopia: Case Study of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State Mesfin Gebremichael PhD 2011 Federalism and Conflict Management in Ethiopia: Case Study of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State Mesfin Gebremichael Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Peace Studies University of Bradford September 2011 Abstract In 1994 Ethiopia introduced a federal system of government as a national level approach to intra-state conflict management. Homogenisation of cultures and languages by the earlier regimes led to the emergence of ethno-national movements and civil wars that culminated in the collapse of the unitary state in 1991. For this reason, the federal system that recognises ethnic groups‟ rights is the first step in transforming the structural causes of civil wars in Ethiopia. Against this background this research examines whether the federal arrangement has created an enabling environment in managing conflicts in the country. To understand this problematic, the thesis conceptualises and analyses federalism and conflict management using a qualitative research design based on in-depth interviewing and content-based thematic analysis – taking the case study of the Benishangul-Gumuz regional state. The findings of the study demonstrate that different factors hinder the federal process. First, the constitutional focus on ethnic groups‟ rights has led, in practice, to lessened attention to citizenship and minority rights protection in the regional states. Second, the federal process encourages ethnic-based elite groups to compete in controlling regional and local state powers and resources. This has greatly contributed to the emergence of ethnic-based violent conflicts, hostile intergovernmental relationships and lack of law and order along the common borders of the regional states. Third, the centralised policy and decision making process of the ruling party has hindered genuine democratic participation of citizens and self-determination of the ethnic groups. This undermines the capacity of the regional states and makes the federal structure vulnerable to the dynamics of political change. The conflicts in Benishangul- Gumuz emanate from these causes, but lack of territorial land use rights of the indigenous people and lack of proportional political representation of the non- indigenous people are the principal manifestations. The research concludes by identifying the issues that determine the sustainability of the federal structure. Some of them include: making constitutional amendments which consider citizenship rights and minority rights protection; enhancing the democratic participation of citizens by developing the capacities of the regional states and correcting the organisational weakness of the multi-national political parties; I encouraging co-operative intergovernmental relationships, and maintaining the territorial land use rights of the Benishangul-Gumuz indigenous people. Keywords: Federalism, Ethnic groups, Intra-state Conflict, Conflict management, Intergovernmental relationships II Acknowledgments Several people, whose support was valuable to the completion, have contributed to this PhD work. I thank my supervisor, Professor David Francis, who guided me relentlessly throughout the study. I am grateful to Dr Sarah Vaughan and Dr Richard Freeman, from the University of Edinburgh, who provided me with important references for the research and gave their valuable time to comment on my work. I would like to thank also the staff and students of the department of Peace Studies who gave me their support in many respects. The study could not have been realised without the support of many people back at home, in Ethiopia. I am obliged to the Addis Ababa University management in general and Professor Andreas Eshete and Professor Tsige Gebremariam, in particular, who encouraged me to start the PhD study and provided me with a scholarship. I am indebted to my children Blen, Kaleab and Kibreab, who were born during my study and added pleasure, a new aspiration and responsibility to my life. Finally, I appreciate my darling wife, Brhan Tesfay, who took all family responsibility on my behalf and encouraged me to finish the study. III Acronyms AAPO All Amhara People‟s Organisation ADPS Agricultural Development, Policy and Strategy AEDO All Ethiopian Democratic Organisation AESM All Ethiopian Socialist Movement ALF Afar Liberation Front AMC Agricultural Marketing Corporation ANDM Amhara National Democratic movement ARS Amhara Regional State BGRS Benishangul-Gumuz Regional state BGPDUF Benishangul- Gumuz People‟s Democratic Unity Front BIPPCSA Bureau of Information and Public Participation, Co-ordination and Social Affairs BNWEPDUP Benishangul North West Ethiopia People‟s Democratic Unity Party Boro-SPDM Shinasha People‟s Democratic Movment BPLM Benishangul People‟s Liberation Movement CCE Council of Constitutional Enquiry CEWARN Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism COPWE Commission for Organising the Party of the Working People of Ethiopia CSAE Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia CUD Coalition for Unity and Democracy DADC Deddessa Agricultural Development Centre EBDO Ethiopian Berta Democratic Organisation EPDM The Ethiopian People‟s Democratic Movement EPRA Ethiopia People‟s Revolutionary Army EPRDF Ethiopian People‟s Revolutionary Democratic Front EPRP Ethiopian People‟s Revolutionary Party EDU Ethiopian Socialist Movement FCEC Federal Constitutional Enquiry Commission FOTW Flags of the World IV FPTP First-Past-The Post GDP Gross Domestic Product GPLM Gumuz‟s People Democratic Movement HICE Household Income, Consumption and Expenditure Survey HOF House of Federation HoPR House of People‟s Representatives IFLO Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia IGR Intergovernmental relations KPDM Komo People‟s Democratic Movement MLLT Marxsist Leninst League of Tigray MOFED Ministry of Finance and Economic Development MPDM Mao People‟s Democratic Movement NEBE National Election Board of Ethiopia NGO Non-Governmental Organisation OLF Oromo Liberation Front ONLF Ogaden National Liberation Front OPDO Oromo People‟s Democratic Organisation ORS Oromia Regional State SEPDC The Southern Ethiopian People‟s Democratic Coalition SLF Sidama Liberation Front SPLA Sudan People‟s Liberation Army SNNPRS Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples Regional State TLF Tigray Liberation Front TGE Transitional Government of Ethiopia TPLF Tigray People‟s Liberation Front WADU Walyita Agricultural Development WPE Workers‟ Party of Ethiopia V Glossary Awraja Imperial era zone Derge Literally „Committee‟ used to denote the regime in power from 1974-1991 Fetha Negest Law of the kings Kebele The lowest unit of administration Kibre Negest The Glory of the Kings, an account of the mythical origins of the Solomonic dynasty Lij Title generally reserved for the sons of the royal family Michu An institution through which friendship bonds are established mainly by performing traditionally prescribed rituals Neftegna Literally one who owns a gun, associated with soldier settlers in southern Ethiopia to whom the government granted rights over land and people in the 19th century Negus King, title of the provincial lords of high birth or special merit Neguse Negest King of Kings, or Emperor Ras Literally head, the highest traditional politico-military title under negus Region The name for the constituent units within the Ethiopian Federation Woreda District administrative structure between Kebele and Zone VI List of Maps and Tables Maps Map1: Ethiopian political map during the imperial and military regimes 79 Map 2: Ethiopian federal administrative regional states 81 Map 3: The Benishangul-Gumuz administrative map 174 Tables 1.1. Total interview participants of the research study 10 1.2. Interview participants from Benishangul-Gumuz regional state by ethnicity 10 3.1. Total population by each regional state 81 4.1. Urban and rural dwellers by regional states 124 4.2. Percentage of different language speakers in regional states 125 4.3. Ethnic representation of the Ethiopian government cabinet members 171 5.1. Names of zone and Woreda administrations 174 5. 2. Population distribution by zone 175 5.3. Distribution of population with respect to religion 175 5. 4. Population size of each indigenous ethnic group and the major non-indigenous groups 179 6.1. The ratio of people living in urban and rural areas from the major ethnic groups in the Benishangul-Gumuz regional state 204 6.2. Participation of the indigenous and non-indigenous groups in the regional civil service 206 6.3. Number of crime committed in Benishangul-Gumuz Regional state 210 8.1. Ethnic