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| EPRDF’s "divide" strategy of Ethiopia | |||
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EPRDF’s "divide" strategy for Ethiopia ------------------------------------------------- The "divide" strategy is largely the result of ethnic federalism. Indeed, the federal arrangement along ethnic lines contributed to make ethnic regions retire within themselves and undermined the creation of opposition parties transcending ethnic lines. As mentioned by Gudina (2003), "the right to secede is mere rhetoric to give the pretence that the EPRDF has addressed the national question in Ethiopia and to redirect the attention of various groups away from bigger national agendas and force them to be locked in narrow regional political and economic issues". Ethnic federalism thus led to what Vaughan (2003) calls the "ethnicisation" of Ethiopian politics (resulting precisely from the "politicization of ethnicity"), with the creation, and reinforcement when they already exist, of ethnic-based opposition parties over the 90’s: OLF (Oromo Liberation Front) and ONC (Oromo National Congress) for Oromos, AAPO (All Amhara People’s Organisation) for Amharas, and SEPDC (Southern Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Coalition) for SNNPs. The breaking up of opposition forces through ethnic federalism is reinforced by the creation by EPRDF of ethnicbased satellite parties known as "PDOs" (because their names generally end by "People’s Democratic Organisation") in each ethnic region and sub-region. Through propaganda backed by kebele and woreda officials, EPRDF manages to considerably reduce support towards ethnic-based opposition parties in these areas during elections. Ethiopian politics over the last decade are thus characterized by a double instrumentalisation of ethnicity by EPRDF. Indeed, EPRDF first uses ethnicity as a criterion of "good birth" (the Aksumite origins of Tigreans) for legitimating their privileged access to national resources. Secondly, they manipulate federalism along ethnic lines to divide the country. Source: Ethical altruistic voting in a multi-ethnic developing country. Evidence from Ethiopia. Marie-Anne Valfort March 2006 References: ----------------- Gudina M., 2003, Ethiopia. Competing ethnic nationalisms and the quest for democracy: 1960-2000, Ethiopian Chamber Printing House Vaughan S., 2003, "Ethnicity and Power in Ethiopia", PhD Thesis, The University of Edinburgh |
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