Managing Ethiopia’s ethnic divisions through constitutional design

The report examines the tension between Ethiopian nationalists and ethno-nationalists, noting that while most agree on federalism, they disagree on its purpose. It analyzes three primary constitutional frameworks—consociationalism, centripetalism, and integration—and proposes five hybrid models to balance inclusion, moderation, and national cohesion. The author concludes that no single design is sufficient and recommends a negotiated blend of these mechanisms to ensure stability and protect individual and minority rights.

• Ethiopian politics is characterized by enduring and non-subsiding contending nationalist mobilisations.
• Although there is general agreement on the necessity of a federal system in Ethiopia, there is profound disagreement regarding its nature and objectives.
• Consociational democracy, which emphasizes inclusion for ethno-nationalist groups, is likely to be rejected by those prioritizing national unity.
• Integrationist approaches, which focus on national cohesion, conflict with the demands for self-determination held by other political groups.
• The report argues that a single constitutional design cannot satisfy all competing interests in Ethiopia; instead, a combination of accommodation and integration schemes is required.
• The author proposes five specific hybrid models for Ethiopia, ranging from liberal power-sharing combined with vote pooling and multinational federalism, to presidentialism with distribution rules and inclusive multinational federalism.
• To ensure national cohesion and protect individual rights, the report suggests establishing inclusive national symbols, iconic public institutions, strong legal frameworks, and independent monitoring bodies.

APA

Yusuf, S. (2021). Managing Ethiopia’s ethnic divisions through constitutional design. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear37.pdf

Chicago

Yusuf, Semir. Managing Ethiopia’s ethnic divisions through constitutional design. Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear37.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yusuf |first1=Semir |title=Managing Ethiopia’s ethnic divisions through constitutional design |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=February 2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear37.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yusuf2021managing, author = {Yusuf, Semir}, title = {{Managing Ethiopia’s ethnic divisions through constitutional design}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ear37.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }