Rectifying Historical Injustices: A Resolved or Persistent Constitutional Issue in Contemporary Ethiopia?

Abstract

Ethiopia is a country where its nations hold divergent positions in almost all affairs, including its formation and political, economic, and social matters. The divided political elites divided the Ethiopian people, at least ideologically and morally, and pushed the country to the verge of hell, which made the lives of hundreds of millions miserable in Ethiopia. The Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples of Ethiopia agreed constitutionally that addressing historically unfair relationships and advancing their joint interests are the best ways to fulfill their shared destiny, as stated in the preamble of the 1995 FDRE Constitution. Consequently, this research article examines whether or not this constitutional declaration has advanced after three decades of its adoption.  The findings of this article identify that despite the constitutional call for rectification three decades ago, irrespective of the ongoing massive reformations in legal, developmental, and social sectors since 2018, looking into the prevailing internal and scattered conflicts reckoning their sources from unreconcilable causes and ideology, Ethiopia is currently standing on various challenges rather than moving ahead towards national consensus through rectifying the historical unjust relationships. Consequently, Ethiopia has been diving into deep-rooted constitutional and political complications.