Africa Center for Strategic Studies

By J Siegfried Pausewang. South Africa Journal of International Affairs, April 2009. The EPRDF has increasingly relied on land practices to maintain its authority in the Ethiopian countryside, home to 80 percent of the population. Siegfried discusses how local government leaders are abusing Article 40 in the constitution that gives the state ultimate power on land issues. They punish peasants not loyal to the regime by denying or reallocating their plots to party loyalists. Peasants have also been forced into buying fertilizer from state-run firms against their will. Such actions often result in default, arrest and sometimes detention. The author argues similar treatment created serious security problems for the previous government and unless they are managed carefully portends great danger ahead. Download the Article: [HTML]

By Kjetil, Tronvoll, Journal of Modern African Studies, 2009. The political trajectory in Ethiopia has undertaken a markedly negative political trajectory in recent years. This is evidenced by a pattern of non-electoral events such as political intimidation, recognition of illegitimate results, and limitations on political participation. The use of voter-registration as the basis for land distribution further exacerbates this disenfranchisement. The author argues that these measures and not just the frequency of elections should be the barometer for electoral maturity. The elections in 2005, for example, have been followed by increased political arrests, human rights abuses, and nepotism. In addition to undermining Ethiopia’s process of democratization, these actions create potent sources of instability in the country. Download the Article: [HTML]

By International Crisis Group, 2009. This ICG report examines how the creation of ethno-federalism has contributed to the deterioration of democratic governance, increased authoritarianism, and the marginalization of the opposition through political arrests and a media clampdown.   The report warns the international community of looming danger as previous electoral grievances and claims of vote-rigging have not been resolved. This has led to a rapid deterioration of state-society relations. The continuous steering of development projects to areas that supported the government in previous elections is becoming a worrying concern. This has forced many international donors including the World Bank to deal directly with local government. This in turn, has generated strong criticism and heightened regulation by the government. Download the Article: [PDF]