Editing Government of Ethiopia (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of the federal government of Ethiopia}}
Ethiopia has always oscillated between centralisation of power, this was accelerated under the 19th century emperors [[Tewodros II]] (1855–68) and [[Yohannes IV]] (1872–89).<ref name="Young1998">{{cite journal |last1=Young |first1=John |title=Regionalism and Democracy in Ethiopia |journal=Third World Quarterly |date=June 1998 |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=191–204 |doi=10.1080/01436599814415 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01436599814415 |access-date= |ref=Young1998 |language=en |issn=0143-6597 |jstor =3993156}}</ref> This was replicated in modern times under the [[Derg]] regime, after the fall of the Derg, the federalism introduced in 1991 by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/ethiopia/ethiopia-ethnic-federalism-and-its-discontents | title=Ethiopia: Ethnic Federalism and Its Discontents | date=4 September 2009 }}</ref>

Historically, the [[Ethiopian Empire]], known as "Abyssinia"  and "Ze-Etiyopia" called prior to the mid-19th century, consisted mainly of the [[Amhara people|Amhara]] and [[Tigrayans]]. These are northern people who share a similar language, culture and customs, who now make up c. 24% and 6% respectively of modern Ethiopia. Tewodros II reunified Northern Ethiopia from 1855, while his successor Yohannes IV embarked on a series of brutal military campaigns between 1880–1889 to conquer and annex the southern and eastern regions, namely western Oromo, Sidama, Gurage, Wolayta and other groups, leading largely to the current national borders.<ref name="Young1998" />

The inhabitants of these Southern states had different languages and customs; mostly Muslim and Pagan, but particularly the most populous group, the [[Oromos]], 34% currently, occupied valuable agricultural and developable lands which now contain the capital [[Addis Ababa]], the heart of urban Ethiopia and its industrial hub on traditional Oromo lands.

The conquest involved mass killings, which would now be termed genocide, enslavement, land confiscation and forcible conversion to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, motivated by a cultural contempt for what were considered inferior peoples.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/asr/article/view/23257 | doi=10.4314/asr.v9i2.23257 | title=Genocidal violence in the making of nation and state in Ethiopia | year=2006 | last1=Bulcha | first1=Mekuria | journal=African Sociological Review / Revue Africaine de Sociologie | volume=9 | issue=2 | pages=1–54 | doi-access=free }}</ref>  These historical memories persist in part, aggravated even today by ‘land grabs’ in the southern Oromo heartland by the ruling non-Oromo hegemony and by similar competition for land and resources between the [[Amhara people|Amhara]] and [[Ethiopian Somalis]] in the North.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://genocidewatch.net/2016/02/01/land-grabbing-in-ethiopia/ | title=Land Grabbing in Ethiopia }}</ref>

The centralised [[Ethiopian Empire]] under [[Haile Selassie]] was abolished following the [[Ethiopian Revolution]], the [[Mengistu]] and communist [[Derg]] coup of 1974, replaced by an equally centralised Marxist-Leninist system, including the continuation of the military campaigns started by [[Haile Selassie]] in 1961 against the resistance within [[Eritrea]], annexed in 1961, which persisted until 1991, and against the Somali [[Ogaden]] invasion of 1977/78.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/ethiopian-somali-war-over-ogaden-region-1977-1978/ | title=Ethiopian-Somali War over the Ogaden Region (1977–1978) • | date=21 March 2016 }}</ref>

Following the dissolution of the Derg in 1991, by the TPLF, which ended the [[Ethiopian Civil War]] and established independence for Eritrea, Ethiopia formed a transitional government along federal lines which lasted until 1995. The [[1995 Constitution of Ethiopia]] was promulgated by the [[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front]] (EPRDF), which enshrined a form of ethnic-based federalism, consisting of 11 ethno-linguistically defined regional states and 2 chartered cities. The states are: [[Afar Region|Afar]]; [[Amhara Region|Amhara]], [[Benishangul-Gumuz Region|Benishangul-Gumuz]]; [[Gambela Region|Gambela]]; [[Harari Region|Harari]]; [[Oromia]]; [[Somali Region|Somali]]; the [[Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region]]; [[Tigray Region|Tigray]]; [[Sidama Region|Sidama]]; and [[South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region|South West Ethiopia]]. The chartered cities are [[Addis Ababa]], the country's capital, and [[Dire Dawa]]. The federal structure was intended to alleviate the persistent historical ethnic tensions by establishing regional autonomy and a degree of self-rule. Article 39, Section 1 states: "Every nation, nationality and people has an unconditional right to [[self-determination]] including the right to section."<ref name="Abdullahi1998">{{Cite journal |last=Abdullahi |first=Ahmednasir M. |date=1998 |title=Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution On Secession and Self-determination: A Panacea to the Nationality Question in Africa? |journal=Verfassung und Recht in Übersee / Law and Politics in Africa, Asia and Latin America |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=440–455 |doi=10.5771/0506-7286-1998-4-440 |jstor=43110295 |s2cid=127578424 |issn=0506-7286|doi-access=free }}</ref> Each ethnic territory was thus given the right to secede, which was welcomed by those federally-minded but proved controversial amongst supporters of [[Ethiopian nationalism]] and its [[diaspora]], especially the previously dominant [[Amhara people|Amhara]], who feared it would decentralise government and induce ethnic tensions.

After the 1995 general election, [[Meles Zenawi]], chairman of the [[Tigray People's Liberation Front]], was appointed as Prime Minister. His government reversed the communist policies of the [[Derg]] and progressively encouraged privatization of government companies, farms, lands, and investments. This socioeconomic and partial political liberalization within a federalist system, combined with a return of considerable foreign investment led to significant economic growth, double-digit in his last 9 years until his sudden death in 2012. His deputy [[Hailemariam Desalegn]], assumed power, which was only confirmed by elections in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 August 2012 |title=Ethiopia: Parliament session on Meles succession delayed |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19351856}}</ref> Under the leadership of Hailemariam, the Tigray People's Liberation Front and [[EPRDF]] maintained the same policies until 2018, earning Ethiopia the status as the fastest-growing economy in Africa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/05/ethiopia-africa-fastest-growing-economy/ | title=Ethiopia is Africa's fastest-growing economy }}</ref> While Meles introduced many social reforms, there was still a notable degree of political and media suppression, coupled with allegations of election meddling in 2005. The TPLF, drawn from only 6% of the population, was seen as unduly favourable to [[Tigrayans]], with resentment from the majority [[Oromos]] (34%) and [[Amhara people|Amhara]] (27%), with ethnic clashes also involving [[Ethiopian Somalis]] (6%).<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2005/05/09/suppressing-dissent/human-rights-abuses-and-political-repression-ethiopias-oromia | title=Suppressing Dissent: Human Rights Abuses and Political Repression in Ethiopia's Oromia Region | journal=Human Rights Watch | date=9 May 2005 | last1=Albin-Lackey | first1=Christopher }}</ref>