Along Ethiopia's western frontier: Gambella and Benishangul in transition

Abstract

The lowland Ethiopian regions of Gambella and Benishangul, bordering Sudan, form a classic frontier zone. ‘Modern’ politics dates from the 1974 Ethiopian revolution, and has been shaped by developments on either side of the frontier, as well as by the complex relations among indigenous peoples, and between them and immigrants and officials from highland areas of Ethiopia. The implementation of the post-1991 Ethiopian government's programme of ethnic regionalism has intensified local rivalries, and regional governments remain weak, being highly dependent on professionals from highland Ethiopia. Education, transport links, and other indicators of development remain poor. None the less, local political power, in sharp contrast to earlier periods, has to an appreciable extent passed into the hands of indigenous leaders.

Ethiopia's Experiment in Accommodating Diversity: 20 Years’ Balance Sheet

“…37 The two-tier nature of the federal system (those with relatively better experience in self-rule versus marginalised ones) has been made clear in a number of studies. See, for instance, Young (1999). Abbink (1997: 173) (Addis Ababa: Master Printing House).…”

“…These are regional states more marginalised than other parts of Ethiopia in the last century (Young, 1999;Dereje, 2006). To address this historical injustice, regional states that favoured dominant ethnic groups living in the regional states were established.…”

Institutional Challenges in Sustainable Forest Management: Evidence from the Gambella Regional State of Western Ethiopia

“…The total population of the Mejengir Zone is 59,248 (CSA, 2007). Like the Mejengir, the Mocha claim traditional rights to forestland, although they have historically settled in the area later than the Mejengir (Young, 1999). In this particular context, the naming of the administrative zone as "Mejengir Zone" has far reaching psychological implications, which affect the right to claim forest resources.…”

Federal-states intergovernmental relations impact on regional states autonomy in Ethiopia: A view with Oromo protest

“…On the other hand some authors state that the capacity of this periphery states are too weak and it requires this ministry to intervene. For instance, Young (Young, 1999) argues that the involvement of this institution in periphery states affairs through different mechanism is highly necessary because these states need the assistance of the central government to fill the gap for expertise and human resources that is promised by the constitution. One respondent from this ministry was asked to give a view on the effectiveness of this institution towards its mandate of creating effective and partnerships relations between federal and states.…”