Quartz Africa argued that Ethiopia’s federal map, drawn largely along ethnic lines, kept feeding rivalry between Oromo and Amhara politics. The structure was meant to recognise nations, nationalities, and peoples after 1991. Critics said it also locked competition into identity contests over land, cities, and federal power.
The June 2019 Amhara assault and the killing of the army chief in Addis Ababa sharpened the point. Quartz tied the violence to unresolved fights over how regions relate to the centre under Abiy Ahmed’s reforms. Oromo and Amhara nationalisms both grew louder as party discipline loosened.
The analysis said the federal bargain still shaped recruitment, language policy, and who controlled regional security. Without a clearer shared rulebook, openings in politics could turn into zero-sum ethnic campaigns rather than national debate.
Sources: Quartz Africa