Large-scale land acquisition and state (re) making in Ethiopia since the mid-2000s

This article explores how Ethiopia's historical state-building process unfolded in the context of large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) and the federal power structure in the post-2008 period. It aims to examine how federal government elites exerted control in Ethiopia's peripheral regions through mechanisms such as Development Agents, military apparatus, self-criticism sessions, and developmental state narratives, all within the broader neoliberal framework of agricultural land investment. Drawing on a blend of primary and secondary data, the study highlights how de facto centralized land governance emerged and how federal elites established institutional structures that curtailed the authority of regional elites. Consequently, while recent LSLAs in Ethiopia have served as tools for wealth accumulation and the promotion of ‘democratic centralism,’ the current regime has restructured local actors’ power and intensified oversight of investment activities.