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Ethiopia may become a member of the BRICS alliance.
3.17
Full democracyFlawed democracyHybrid regimeAuthoritarian regime
50.53
GoodSatisfactoryProblematicDifficultVery Serious
The appointment of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned in the face of mass protests, set off a transitional period in Ethiopia. Abiy pledged to reform Ethiopia’s authoritarian state and has held elections and implemented some liberalization policies. However, Ethiopia remains beset by civil war and intercommunal violence, abuses by security forces and violations of due process are still common, and many restrictive laws remain in force. Since late 2020 and until November 2022, fighting between the Federal Government and the Tigray Defense Force (TDF) has led to the displacement of millions and credible allegations of atrocity crimes, and violence has spilled over into neighboring regions.
The conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and forces associated with the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which escalated in November 2020 and continued throughout the coverage period, led to sharp restrictions on the human rights of internet users. An internet shutdown that the federal government imposed in the Tigray Region in November 2020 persisted during the coverage period, alongside localized connectivity disruptions in parts of Amhara and Afar Regions where clashes between federal government and TPLF forces also took place. The government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continued to crack down on media outlets and journalists with an online presence, including by detaining journalists for up to three months, threatening to revoke and actually revoking their press licenses, and forcibly disappearing some prominent journalists.
Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with over 80 different ethnic groups.
Christianity is the most widely professed faith in the country,
with significant minorities of the adherents of Islam and a small percentage to traditional faiths.
The government is structured as a federal parliamentary republic with both a President and Prime Minister.
The government is multicameralism with a house of representative and a council.
Reports of human rights violations within the country have been levied not only at the federal government of Ethiopa,
but also by various militant groups and regional militias; including the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
All sides of the Tigray War have been repeatedly accused of committing war crimes since it began in November 2020.
In particular, the Ethiopian federal government, the State of Eritrea, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Amhara regional forces
have been the subject of numerous reports of both war crimes and crimes against humanity.