The Quest for Regional Statehood in the SNNPRS of Ethiopia: Legal Framework versus Implementation

Abstract

The merger of the five southern regions of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (Regions 7 to 11) into a single region – undertaken with the aim of countering both internal and external political pressure – is the root cause of the quests for regional
statehood seen in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS). However, more recently, these quests have been gaining momentum
since the political transition Ethiopia underwent in 2018. It has been suggested that the quests could be addressed by means of a cluster formula, one involving the for- mation of a regional state by merging numerous zones and special woredas, but this is questionable in terms of the current constitutional framework and practice. The purpose of this study is thus to conduct a critical analysis of the Ethiopian federa- tion’s legal frameworks and practices in response to the quests for regional statehood in the SNNPRS. The study finds that the quest for statehood in the region brings to light the country’s inconsistent and arbitrary implementation of multinational feder- alism. Several factors, among them lack of fair political representation, imbalanced infrastructural development, and poor-quality public service delivery, have inten- sified demands for regional statehood. The study suggests that, in order to place a limit on arbitrary and inconsistent governmental intervention, the Constitution’s provisions in regard to state formation should be amended in the light of criteria such as administrative convenience, economic viability, and population size. Moreover, the federation should be restructured by recognising local government in the federal constitution so as to ensure sub-regional self-rule and self-determination, as well as equitable local level development. Overall, the study underlines that what is vital in Ethiopia today is a genuine and consistent response to quests for regional statehood and the needs articulated for social, political, economic, and infrastructural devel- opment.