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Ethiopia

Uncomfortable Truths

nonnative minorities are given special districts and rights of self-administration. But no matter
the number of minority regions, the fiction of an ethnic homeland creates endless minorities.

Ethnic mobilization comes from multiple groups, including Ethiopians without an ethnic
homeland, and those disenfranchised as minorities in the region of their residence, even if their
ethnic group has a homeland in another state. “

"The Trouble With Ethiopia's Ethnic Federalism (Published 2019)." 156
Mamdani, Mahmood. "Opinion
The New York Times, January 3, 2019, sec. Opinion.

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2020 Ethiopia and the TPLF

Anyone who has absorbed the previous pages in this Ethiopia section should be able to

appreciate
 The legacy that was left behind from the removal of first Haile Selassie and then the Derg.

And the Ethiopian Civil War that ensued.

 The resultant dominance of the TPLF in Ethiopian politics and society
 The single-minded focus under Meles Zenawi that brought about a fast-growing economy

whilst implementing a 'transformation' of Ethiopian infrastructure in all of its forms
 That Ethiopia is nearing its own 'tipping point' after which it has a realistic chance of

managing its own future whilst developing a far better quality of life for all Ethiopians
 That the current Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has added to the above by freeing Ethiopia

from some of the biggest obstacles to the country's future Economic Development by his

initiative with Eritrea and so make a decisive opportunity to rid the country of the scourge of
capital-centric development that so readily fuels Ethnic Instability
Given the above, it was always inevitable that there would be a 'show down' with the TPLF.

Anyone spending any length of time living in and travelling around Ethiopia over the last 5-

10 years will have come face to face with demonstrations of social unrest arising from a
disaffection from a perceived oligarchic TPLF rule.

It is to be hoped that all will settle down and that the removal of these obstacles to

country-wide development will lead to many benefits.
Given what we know about the inherent fragility and instability of all African LLDC,

and the potential dominance and domino effect that Ethiopia has on the whole Horn of
Africa, in respect to UK International Aid,