The dilemma of adopting ethnic federal system in Africa in light of the perspectives from Ethiopian experience

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the major challenges of adopting ethnic federal system in Africa with special focus on the
context of Ethiopia’s ethnic federal system. It is argued that though the adoption of ethnic federal system in Ethiopia
has created the opportunity for minority groups to exercise their cultural and linguistic rights, the ethnic federal
experiment has faced enormous challenges. The challenges include problems of legitimacy, unprecedented emphasis
on ethnicity and lack of genuine democratization process. The article argues for concrete measures to be undertaken
on political accommodation of various political groupings, realization of genuine democracy and establishing efficient
political institutions as well as the need to accommodate minority rights in a manner that fosters social cohesion and
national unity in the country.