Commentary: Ethiopia's Crisis About Political Order Ownership Beyond Identity Politics

In an opinion article published by Addis Standard, commentator Hambisa Belina argues that Ethiopia's recurring political crises cannot be adequately explained by identity politics alone. Instead, he posits that the ongoing instability reflects an unresolved foundational bargain concerning political membership, territory, land, authority, and protection. According to the commentary, collective national claims are not an original disturbance to an otherwise neutral state, but rather responses to an older political order whose fundamental terms were never jointly authored by all groups. Hambisa describes Ethiopia's crisis as an unfinished argument about political membership and governance rights. He asserts that achieving lasting peace in the country will depend on whether different peoples and individuals are given the opportunity to meaningfully author and shape the institutions under which they live.