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Ethiopia: A State Regressing from Democracy

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The Role of Civil Society in Africa’s Quest for Democratization

Part of the book series: Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development ((AAESPD,volume 5))

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Abstract

Compared with the other nations studied Ethiopia entered the modern world of independent nations with a head start. Although invaded by Italy for a brief period, Ethiopia survived the ills of colonialism, was one of four African member states of the League of Nations, and was a founding member of the United Nations and the Organization of African Union. However, neither its independence nor its head start allowed it to establish a democratic system. Ethiopia remained at the back of the pack when it came to education, industrialization, and urbanization, and a grassroots democratic movement would not emerge until the 1960s. Like many African nations, Ethiopia would become a victim of the cold war and suffer through a communist dictatorship which nationalized everything in the country including civil society. Ethiopia’s progress towards democratization began at the end of the cold war only to be sharply curtailed in 2005. This chapter follows Ethiopian civil society from Imperial rule to military dictatorship, democratic transition, and regression to electoral dictatorship.

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  1. St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami Gardens, FL, USA

    Abadir M. Ibrahim

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Ibrahim, A.M. (2015). Ethiopia: A State Regressing from Democracy. In: The Role of Civil Society in Africa’s Quest for Democratization. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development, vol 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18383-1_6

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