Accommodation of Ethnic Diversities and Nurturing Unity in Ethiopia: Appraising Benishangul Gumuz Regional State Practice

Abstract

Federalism as a political idea has become increasingly important as a way of peacefully reconciling the principles of unity and diversity typically in multi-national states. Actually, federalism is not a universal remedy for all challenges of ethnic diversity or ethnic conflicts rather it has considered as a means to achieve the end particularly in ethnically heterogeneous states. Therefore, the very objective of this paper is to critically examine the actual practices of unity in diversity at Benishangul-Gumuz regional state (hereafter used as BGRS). In this context, this paper investigate in detail policies and institutions designed for accommodation of ethnic diversity in the study region. Based on the information gained through the various research instruments the writer concluded that non-indigenous ethnic groups are in a better manner accommodated at Kebele level of government than Woreda and regional levels of government in BGRS. Therefore, failure to adequately accommodate non-indigenous ethnic groups particularly in the regional legislative and executive organs and Woreda executive organ of the government in its part challenging the unity of BGRS.

Keywords: Federalism; Accommodation of Diversity; Ethnic Diversity; Ethnic Unity; BGRS; Indigenous and Non-indigenous Ethnic Group

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-1-01

Publication date: January 31^st 2020