Armed Non-State Actors in Ethiopia: Drivers and Regional Security

This article examined the causes, activities, and conditions (domestic and regional) for the emergence and intransigence of ANSAs and the security implications they have posed to the Horn in general and Ethiopia in particular by answering the following research questions: What factors explain the continuous rise of insurgency in the Horn of Africa particularly in Ethiopia? And how do the domestic and regional contexts challenge the unfolding efforts to deal with sanctuary insurgency? To address this research question the study employed primary and secondary data collection tools, such as, KIIs. Armed groups are widely seen as a danger to Ethiopia’s national stability. Since April 2018, when a new administration took office, Ethiopia has taken drastic measures to address the problem of armed groups by removing them from its terrorist list. As a result, most armed groups have denounced violence and announced their readiness to participate in peaceful electoral politics. Despite all this over the last five years, Ethiopia as a state has faced challenges caused by ANSAs. This article identified three domestic factors that contributed for the unrelenting existence and proliferation of ANSAs in Ethiopia. These are politics of autochthony, weaponizing identity, and unemployment. In addition to these domestic factors, regional issues such as historical enmity, mistrust, proxy, inability to control areas effectively, state failure, local level corruption, the abundance of weaponry, and the rugged topography of the international border areas of Ethiopia are the main contributing factors for the continuous proliferation of ANSAs in Ethiopia. Addressing these issues requires a multi-pronged approach that tackles ethnic grievances, promotes genuine dialogue between communities, and dismantles the networks that perpetuate violence. Regionally, following diplomatic communication and security cooperation are viable optionsfor regional security.