Ethiopia’s Political, diplomatic move from ancient to present

Ancient Ethiopia had rich culture and systematic political developments. The people of the country have lived together through waves of changes that characterized and shaped their unity. These developments have great influence on the geopolitics of the country.

Ancient Ethiopia had been characterized by a rich history that spans thousands of years. During this period it had faced foreign invaders and intruders that influenced the reign of various kings and queens. Such intrusions could not threaten the existence of Ethiopia as the only independent country in the African continent. Its various kingdoms made their peculiar contributions to the structure of the continent.

Similarly, its cultures have expressed the special identities of Ethiopians. Its historical and political structures have contributed to the region’s diverse political landscape. Its independence has made Africans suffering from colonial atrocities aspire for their freedom from the yoke of hardships under foreign rule and tyranny. Thus, Ethiopia has become a guiding star to the freedom of Africa at large.

Very short views of the key historic developments about ancient Ethiopia that have influenced its future are presented here. These are: kingdoms and empires; Christianity and politics; medieval political structure; Islamic influence; Oromo migrations and political changes; colonial challenges; Emperor Haileselassie; the Derg Regime; and the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Besides, its diplomatic relations mostly based on trade, that go centuries back have put their mark on the country’s political landscape.

Kingdoms and empires comprise the country’s colorful past. The Kingdom of Axum was an empire with its hub in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. The Kingdom was the first sub-Saharan civilization to create its own currency. It established its own written language. It became the center of Ethiopian Christian Church. It has been dominated by agrarian communities similar in culture to those in Southern Arabia. It prospered due to its agricultural lands, monsoon rains and control of regional trade.

Yodit Gudit, after her father was killed in a battle with the Axumite Empire, defeated and retaliated the Axumites. She was the banished princess of Axum. However, Axum was a major political and economic power in the region. It controlled trade routes and played a significant role in the spread of Christianity.

Following the fall of the Axumite Empire, the Zagwe Dynasty, which ruled from the 10th to the 13th century, succeeded the Axumite Kingdom. It was known for the construction of rock-hewn churches in Lalibela. The dynasty was a medieval Agew Orthodox Christian monarchy that ruled the northern part of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The Agew are Cushitic ethnic group native to the northern highlands of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. Mara Teklehaimanot was the founder of the dynasty. Under the dynasty, the order of succession was that a brother succeeded his brother as king based on the Agew laws of inheritance. The Agew dynasty had been succeeded by the Solomonic Dynasty that claimed descent from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. It has played a central role in Ethiopian politics. It traces its roots back to the 13th century and continued for many centuries.

Christianity has played great role in the political development of Ethiopia. Conversion to Christianity was a key part of the politics of the country. The Kingdom of Axum was one of the first regions to officially adopt Christianity in the early 4th century. This made Ethiopia one of the earliest Christian nations in the world. This has defined the State and Church relations in the country.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has historically played a significant role in politics. It has been very influential in the Ethiopian kingdoms. The ruling monarchs have also been influencing the Orthodox Church. They in turn have been closely tied with the Church. The Solomonic Dynasty’s legitimacy, for example, has been closely tied to its relationship with the Church.

Any dispute between the Church and the ruling dynasty has to be amicably settled before it has been transmitted to the followers of the Church. The medieval Christian followers have been devoted to their religion who would not have hesitated to commit their lives to save their religions from any domination.

The medieval political structure comprised of the feudal system. During the medieval period, Ethiopia had a feudal system characterized by regional rule. They have their regional boundaries the residents of which have been their subjects. The nobles held considerable power over their people. They had absolute authority in their respective territories.

The medieval politics had been dominated by the Zemene Mesafint. It was known as the “Era of Princes” (18th-19th centuries) which was a period of internal strife. Each prince ruled his domain with absolute power. But, this arrangement had caused the political fragmentation of the country. The regional lords vied for power, trying to dominate any contender within a given region. In their ambition to extend their power to neighboring regions, they conducted battles for more ownership of territories. As a result, they weakened the central authority and divided Ethiopia into several dominions. They conducted battles with neighboring regions for extending their domains.

These battles have been influenced by religious denominations. The Islamic influence has been strong in different parts of Ethiopia. The Adal Sultanate, with its capital in Harar, posed a significant political and military challenge to Christian Ethiopia in the 16th century. The conflicts with the Adal Sultanate had lasting impacts on Ethiopian history. Added to these were the Oromo migrations and interactions with other ethnic groups, including the Amhara and Tigray. It played a role in shaping the political landscape of Ethiopia.

Following that, in the 17th century, the establishment of Gondar as the capital marked a period of political reorganization and centralization under Emperor Fasiledes. The Ethiopian political landscape has been influenced by internal forces. However, external forces have tried to play a role in the political economy of Ethiopia in the past centuries. Colonial powers have invaded and occupied nearly all the African countries with the goal of controlling the natural resources of the continent.

The colonial challenges have been immense and beyond the military capacity of Africa. However, Ethiopia, under the leadership of Emperor Menelik, successfully resisted Italian colonial attempt to invade it during the First Italo-Ethiopian War of Adwa in 1895-1896. It maintained its independence for millennia. This achievement was so exemplary that it even shocked European colonialists that dominated the rest of Africa.

Its resistance of the colonial system enabled the country gain recognition from the foreign world, especially from the Western countries and due to that; they began to make diplomatic relation with Ethiopia. This diplomatic relation has continued better to date safeguarding its national interest, according to Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking to the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) in connection with the Diplomacy Week that kicked off yesterday at the science museum, he said that meticulous diplomacy has guided Ethiopia for 116 years with little or no hiccups and its Foreign Policy, which is inextricably fastened with its national security, has brought tangible results to protect its interest.

As to him, the event is of paramount importance to draw lessons from past diplomacy to today’s and tomorrow’s engagement. In its 116 years existence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been spearheading Ethiopia’s national interest and the diplomacy week is instrumental to uphold results that have been gained and address the shortcomings.

Ethiopia has remained a symbol of African resistance to colonization. In the modern age, there was attempt to modernize the country. Emperor Haileselassie implemented modernization efforts during his reign in 1930-1974, with a brief interruption during the Italian occupation. However, his rule faced challenges, including internal opposition. He was severely opposed by student movements that unfortunately culminated in military rule, the Derg regime.

The Derg regime was known for its human rights abuses and economic challenges. It was dismantled by the cooperation of liberation movements that dominated Ethiopia after its fall. One of the dominant powers was EPRDF that overthrew the Derg. The EPRDF, a coalition of rebel groups, overthrew the Derg regime in 1991. It introduced a federal system and emphasized ethnic representation in government.

The short review or the brief observation of the long history of Ethiopia is presented here for those who are new to its political, economic and social history and developments in the past. For those interested in the details of the history of the country may refer to books written on various issues. As presented earlier, the politics of ancient Ethiopia reflect a complex history of kingdoms, empires, and political changes. Its history has been accompanied by various factors such as religion, regionalism, and external threats influencing the nation’s development.

Religion has played a significant role in the development and direction of the history of the country. Regionalism has also been a major factor that determined the shape and size of the country. Regional powers fought for the control of the country, but a few succeeded. Others have been subdued by dominant forces.

Apart from religion and regionalism, Ethiopia has been challenged by external threats that wanted to colonize it, but failed. Ethiopia’s ability to resist external pressures and maintain its independence is immense. Its people cooperated to defend their country every time alien forces tried to dismantle it. They have navigated internal dynamics that have contributed to its historical significance on the African continent.

The modern political landscape of Ethiopia is shaped by its rich historical achievements. Economic, multilateral and citizen-centered diplomacy are pillars of the current Ethiopia’s foreign policy and the country has moved quickly to integrate the East African region with infrastructure and embrace its neighbors. Ethiopia’s foreign relations preponderantly focus on ensuring national interest and sovereignty, the Foreign Minister elaborated.

Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald

BY GETACHEW MINAS

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 12 JANUARY 2024

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