The Ethiopian State, Foreign Policy and Participation in International Peacekeeping: Continuities and Changes

Abstract This article examines the continuities and changes in Ethiopian peacekeeping practices since its inception in the early 1950s to the present. It focuses on how international operations have interacted with historical, structural and ideational factors to shape Ethiopia’s involvement. Drawing on archival sources, policy papers, and media material as well as interviews with officials in Ethiopia, it singles out four distinct periods that have influenced Ethiopia’s participation in peacekeeping mission. It shows that all were characterised by the interplay between geopolitical factors, regional developments in Africa and domestic political changes. By identifying the major shifts in Ethiopia’s foreign policy orientation and involvement in peacekeeping, the article seeks to explain the rise of Ethiopia as a major actor in international peacekeeping since the early 2000s. It concludes by highlighting uncertainties facing Ethiopian peacekeeping due to regional complexities and political constraints resulting from internal conflicts.