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History and Government
History: During the Middle Ages, Ethiopia was famous for being the home of Prester John, the mythical Christian King. Although Ethiopia was indeed a Christian kingdom (Ethiopian Coptic) and had been for many centuries, it never fulfilled the expectations of Western Christendom, by failing to be a staunch ally of Rome in the struggle against the infidel. Later, the Portuguese were equally unsuccessful in their efforts to convert the country to orthodox Catholicism. During the so-called ‘colonial period’, Ethiopia was the only country in Africa never to be fully colonised, despite the efforts of Italy, who suffered a series of devastating defeats at the hands of the Ethiopians in the late 19th century, most notably at the battle of Dogali. The 20th-century history of Ethiopia is dominated by the figure of Haile Selassie, who became emperor in 1930 and ruled until the military coup of 1974. The country was occupied by the Italians between 1936 and 1941. The former Italian colony of Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia in 1962, providing a coastline. However, secessionist movements both in Eritrea and Tigray removed these areas from the effective control of the Government.
In 1977, a further coup brought Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu to power. Agricultural backwardness was the country’s most urgent problem; all attempts at land reform were resisted. The government itself was perhaps too preoccupied with fighting secessionist movements in Tigray and Eritrea, and with occasional border clashes with Somalia (one of which escalated into full-scale war during 1977). Three years of severe drought, economic mismanagement and the mutual mistrust between the government and Western aid agencies were the principal causes of the widely publicised famine in Ethiopia in 1983. The civil war continued until May 1991, when President Mengistu fled the country for Zimbabwe. At this point, resistance from the remaining government forces crumbled and the Tigrayan-led Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control of the capital. In July 1991, the EPRDF leader, Meles Zenawi, was elected head of a transitional administration – effectively making him both President and Head of State for the interim – with the promise of future governmental elections.
The EPRDF continued to experience resistance in some parts of the country, mainly from elements of Ethiopia’s ethnic patchwork (Afar, Issa and Gurgureh, as well as ethnic Somalis) and from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which seeks independence for their province in the west of the country. Of greater long-term significance was the decision of the northern province of Eritrea – previously independent until 1952, when the United Nations merged it into Ethiopia – to secede from Ethiopia. The Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF), the dominant force in the province and previously allied to the EPRDF, declared independence in May 1993. The Ethiopians acquiesced in the decision, despite the loss of their entire coastline. Relations between the two were initially good and a number of economic and security agreements were signed. It was not to last.
By May 1995, the transitional administration and a short-lived constituent assembly, both of which were dominated by the EPRDF, had agreed a new constitution and were ready to hold national elections. The EPRDF won a massive victory – including all 92 seats in Addis Ababa – in elections for the new Council of People’s Representatives. Although opposition parties, including the Oromo Liberation Front, boycotted the poll, international observers concluded that its conduct was, by and large, fair. Dr Negasso Gidada and Meles Zenawi, both of the EPRDF, were chosen as President and Prime Minister respectively. Throughout the next two years, minor armed opposition to the Government continued, mainly from Somali and Afar groups. More urgent by far was the sudden and unexpected breakdown in relations with Eritrea.
Fighting broke out in May 1998, ostensibly over land disputes and border incursions each claimed against the other (see Eritrea section). Ethiopia was known to be unhappy with Eritrea’s introduction of its own currency in 1997; Eritrea may have harboured fears that its independence was under threat from Ethiopia. Numerous attempts at mediation, orchestrated by, among others, the USA, Italy and Algeria, brought a temporary halt to the fighting but it continued, fiercely if spasmodically, until June 2001, when the UN finally managed to broker what appears to be a lasting settlement. Although Ethiopia came off rather the better of the two combatants, this was a conflict that neither side could afford. Ethiopia has been in need of food aid for some years and distribution to the most needy and remote areas was disrupted by the fighting.
The latest national elections were held in August 2000. The EPRDF and its allies continued their firm control over both chambers of the National Assembly. Meles Zenawi was endorsed to serve another term as Premier, while Girma Wolde-Giyorgis assumed the presidency.
Government: Under the provisions of a new Constitution, adopted in December 1994, Ethiopia became a federation – the newly designated Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – consisting of nine states and one metropolitan area (the capital, Addis Ababa); each with its own parliamentary assemblies. The legislature is the bicameral Federal Parliamentary Assembly. The lower chamber, Yehizbtewekayoch Mekir Bet (Council of People’s Representatives), comprises 527 directly elected deputies. The upper chamber, Yefederashn Mekir Bet (Council of the Federation), has 117 delegates from the state assemblies and from Ethiopia’s 22 recognised national minorities. The Federal Parliamentary Assembly elects a President as Head of State, although executive power remains largely the preserve of the Prime Minister, who is elected by the Council of People’s Representatives.
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