The Anglo-Ethiopian Society
Lecture - Federalism and Self-Determination: Revisiting the Southern Region
Sarah Vaughan
Tuesday 8th October 2019
7:00pm, Ethiopian Community in Britain, 2a Lithos Road, London NW3 6EF - Public lecture (all welcome)
Ethiopia’s system of "multinational federalism" was introduced in the early 1990s and in the diverse Southern Region federalism has had particularly complex effects. The late 90s saw a range of claims for separate recognition of identity within the region (Silte from Gurage, Sheka from Kaffa, Welaiyta from North Omo, and so on) to which the state finally acceded.
In the context of an upswing of political competition around the 2005 elections, a Sidama claim for separation from the region gathered strong momentum. Since the summer of 2018 the Sidama and a series of other groups have again raised calls for the establishment of separate federated states under the federation.
Sarah Vaughan is an Honorary Fellow in Politics at Edinburgh University and has researched and written on issues in Ethiopian political history for a range of government, multilateral and voluntary bodies. She is co-author of The Culture of Power in Contemporary Ethiopian Political Life.
Doors will open at 6:00pm with complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits available. Capacity at the venue is limited, so please reserve your place soon to avoid disappointment.