The Oromo Revolution: How Have Interethnic Relations Changed in Ethiopia?

This chapter examines the features of interethnic relations in modern Ethiopia. The authors use an instrumental approach to analyze ethnic competition and representation at the federal level, which makes it possible to assess the main parameters of interethnic relations in the country. First, the chapter covers the access of the main ethnic groups to political and financial capital (including the federal budget and individual programs at the federal level). Second, the authors briefly demonstrate the features of the transformation of control over political violence in the country. Third, the chapter examines the institutions for disputes settling between ethnic groups, and also concludes that the space for the activities of these mechanisms is reduced. Finally, the authors identify the scale and scope of Ethiopia's access to resource flows at the international level, which could smooth out the existing contradictions between ethnic groups. As a result, it is concluded that interethnic tensions are aggravated and the options for its de-escalation are decreasing. The main problem for the current interethnic balance in the country is the significant decline in the amount of available financial resources. As a result, some political players have an impetus to deal with global donors separately while some other actors intensify their struggle for available resources. Unfortunately, there is no effective political dispute-settling mechanism or institution that can make that struggle less violent or fix hostilities at the current level.