Layers of traditions

This monograph examines how competing interpretations of history and the material representation of memory—through monuments, statues, and the naming of public spaces—drive political polarisation and conflict in Ethiopia. The author identifies three primary ideological approaches to collective memory: rejectionist/reconstructivist, revivalist/restorationist, and moderationist. These approaches interact with four layers of 'invented traditions' (the pre-1991 'great tradition', post-1991 federal vernacular traditions, regional traditions, and local-level traditions), creating a 'battleground of memory wars' that reinforces vertical and horizontal tensions between the state and various political movements.

• Ethiopian political elites employ three distinct approaches to collective memory: the rejectionist approach seeks to deconstruct the 'great tradition'; the revivalist/restorationist approach aims to reconfigure the state based on the 'unifying' tenets of that tradition; and the moderationist approach advocates for the selective use of the past to contain rejectionist excesses.
• The 'memory wars' in Ethiopia are structured around four layers of invented traditions: the pre-1991 'great tradition', the post-1991 federal vernacular tradition (which introduced the 'national oppression thesis'), regional traditions based on vernacular memory, and local-level traditions used to maintain ethnic boundaries.
• The EPRDF-led government (post-1991) used a 'counter-history' approach to dismantle the great tradition, redefining the state as an 'oppressive empire' and institutionalising 'ethno-cultural justice' and the 'politics of difference' through the 1994 constitution.
• Regional states have used memorialisation to assert sub-national identities against the great tradition. For example, Oromia built the Anole and Chelenko monuments to represent Oromo resistance and sacrifice, while the Somali region erected a statue of Sayid Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan in Jigjiga to monumentalise pan-Somali nationalism.
• The Tigray region is unique among rejectionist entities for 'sacralising' its memorial sites through official, periodic rituals and public holidays, such as those commemorating the TPLF founding and the Hawzen massacre, to mobilise its constituency.
• Under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since 2018, the government has attempted a moderationist 'politics of convergence' through projects like Unity Park, which mixes symbols of the great tradition (wax statues of Menelik and Haile Selassie) with representations of local cultures.
• The post-2018 moderationist approach has been derailed by ideological incoherence within the Prosperity Party, which contains members from all three memory camps, and a perceived tilt toward revivalism (e.g., renaming Nationalities Day to 'Ethiopia Day').
• In the Amhara region, there has been a revival of the great tradition through the construction of statues of Emperor Tewodros and the renaming of public spaces (e.g., renaming Gibot 20 sub-city to Dagmawi Menelik sub-city) to restore 'Amhara dignity' and reject TPLF-inspired narratives.
• Local-level 'memory wars' occur between ethnic groups, such as the Gamo and Wolayta, who compete over cultural symbols like the 'dunguza' fabric, leading to the renaming of sites like Dunguza Square in Arba Minch to maintain identity boundaries.
• The author recommends that the government formulate a national reconciliation strategy based on 'memory mapping' and enact laws to regulate the arbitrary construction of memorials and the renaming of public spaces.

APA

Yared, T. (2023). Layers of traditions. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-210.pdf

Chicago

Yared, Tegbaru. Layers of traditions. Institute for Security Studies, 2023. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-210.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yared |first1=Tegbaru |title=Layers of traditions |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2023 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-210.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yared2023layers, author = {Yared, Tegbaru}, title = {{Layers of traditions}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-210.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }