The Paradox of Nationalism in Ethiopian Politics: An Unresolved Barrier to Multinational Nation-Building

Ethiopia’s political landscape has undergone significant transformation since the political reforms of 2018, coinciding with a resurgence of nationalist sentiments that threaten the country’s multinational nation-building project. This study examines the paradox of rising ultra-nationalism in post-reform Ethiopia and its implications for multinational nation-building, analyzing how competing ethnic nationalist movements challenge political integration and national cohesion. Employing a qualitative desk research methodology, this study synthesizes existing literature, policy documents, public discourse, and academic publications on Ethiopian nationalism, ethnic federalism, and nation-building processes from 1991 to the present. The analytical framework integrates primordialist and modernist theories of nationalism with institutional analysis of Ethiopia’s ethnic federal system. The findings reveal that Ethiopia’s ethnic federalism, while designed to accommodate diversity, has paradoxically institutionalized ethnic divisions and facilitated the rise of ultra-nationalist movements. The political reform has reinvigorated competing nationalist narratives, particularly between Amhara and Oromo nationalist movements, creating an existential challenge to multinational nation-building. The study argues that without deliberate institutional reforms to foster “nesting identity” and intergroup cohesion, the current trajectory of polarized nationalism threatens Ethiopia’s survival as a multinational state. Policy recommendations include institutional mechanisms for national reconciliation, addressing structural demands, and educational reforms to promote inclusive citizenship.