Contenu du sommaire : Éthiopie : le fédéralisme en question

Ethnic identity and federalism in Southern Ethiopia
This article analyzes forms of local ethnic identity and their transformations. It does so through the prism of locally defined representations of collective interests that have been elaborated upon since the time of ethnic federalism. Supposed « ethnic conflicts » emerge in local competition for the control of access to land or to the resources of urban centers. In cases where state-controlled resources are allocated according to the political criteria of « nationality », identity markers have been (re)formulated and (re)constructed in keeping with local perceptions of interest and gain.

The Somali Region of Ethiopia
With the introduction of « ethnic federalism » by Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, Somalis have finally been accorded autonomy in eastern Ethiopia. But fifteen years after the Derg, Ethiopian-Somali identity is still disputed and the question of self-determination is far from being resolved. The inhabitants of the Somali region are struggling with three options : integration into Ethiopia, independence based on territory and genealogy or irredentism toward the defunct Democratic Republic of Somalia.

Power games and identity markers
The second most significant city of Ethiopia is still in search of its institutional identity. The nationality question has served to remodel identity markers on the basis of clivages that have been instrumentalized by the federal government so as to better control this region, best known for its hostility to the centralizing tendencies of past Ethiopian regimes. Local nationalities have become tools for producing divisions, which give rise to claims for autochtony and access to political resources, as illustrated by the May 2005 elections.

The Ethiopian book market and the test of diversity
This article documents the trends of the printed book market in Ethiopia, investigating it as a reflection of the structure of the Ethiopian political space today. The critical question for the authors is to assess whether the establishment of new means for the expression of civil liberties – as provided for in the federal Constitution, notably with respect to the valorization of ethnic diversity – has given rise to new dynamics in practices of cultural creation, diffusion and transmission.

Paper Elephants
The adoption of the Millennium Project Objectives by the United Nations Assembly General in 2000 is part of a process of the reconfiguration and relegitimation of public aid for development. The Millennium Project, the fifth anniversary of which will be celebrated in September, has been devised as a sweeping narrative that is both positive and positivist, avoiding all political questions – a strategy that is not without risk.

Botswana in the face of rising authoritarianism
Botswana is generally presented as the « success story » and the « model of prosperity » in Africa. However, an examination of political dynamics – and especially its celebrated democracy and its proclaimed commitment to freedom of expression – produces an entirely different image of the country. Certain alarming indicators suggest that the present regime is taking an increasingly autocratic turn. In May 2005, the expulsion of a university professor, who had expressed concerns regarding the political elite's intolerance of critique, attests to this new trend.