Understanding the Concept of ‘Ethnic Minorities’ in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT In the past decades, ethnic relations in federal Ethiopia have become increasingly acrimonious. This situation is both a catalyst for and a consequence of multiple conflicts caused by or resulting in serious human rights violations, often disproportionately affecting persons belonging to non‐dominant or minority ethnic groups. This observation calls for more comprehensive protection of minority rights in Ethiopia. Yet, effective protection of minority rights requires an unambiguous definition of the minority concept, which is hitherto lacking in the Ethiopian legal framework. The absence of such a nation‐wide, federal conceptualization has left the identification of minorities and the grant of minority‐specific rights to the discretion of the regional states, which has engendered a differential legal (and practical) status among ethnic groups. In order to remedy this and allow for the consistent application of minority rights standards across the country, the paper suggests a conceptualization of the minority concept in Ethiopia.