CIAO DATE: 08/04

Ethiopia

Victoria Garcia

Center for Defense Information

April 2004

Background

The oldest independent country in Africa, Ethiopia has been plagued by steady periods of instability and political upheavals over the last century. Ethiopia is currently undergoing a transition from a unitary system of government, in which all power comes from the central government, to a non–centralized system of federalism as outlined by the 1994 constitution. Specifically, under the current leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, ethnic Federalism is being pursued, which places power in the hands of regional ethnic–based leaders. Ethiopia has a bicameral parliament, although the most recent legislative elections in 2000 were deemed irregular in the Southern Region by international and local observers. And while the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) holds the majority of the legislative power, the population is extremely diverse with more than 77 ethnic groups. The largest of these groups, the Oromo, has a political organization called the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) that since 1973 has sought greater control of the Ethiopian government and has used terrorist tactics in pursuit of that goal. In 2002, the OLF was held responsible for an attack on a railway station and the bombing of a hotel in Ethiopia, even though the group denied responsibility for the latter bombing. In the past, the OLF has garnered support from neighboring Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan, and from organizations such as Somalia–based al–Ittihad al–Islami (AIAI) and the militant wing of the Ogadeni National Liberation Front (ONLF) that also operates in Ethiopia. To counter these threats, Ethiopia’s military forces have waged low–level operations against the OLF, ONLF and AIAI throughout Ethiopia, as well as in Southern Somalia and Northern Kenya. In addition, since 1998, Ethiopia has been involved in on again–off again violent confrontations and war with Eritrea over border boundaries stemming from Eritrea’s independence in 1993.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Ethiopia’s human rights record is poor. The government restricts freedom of the press, privacy rights, freedom of association, freedom of movement and freedom of religion. Prison conditions are inadequate and members of the security forces commit serious human rights abuses including: mistreatment of detainees, arbitrary arrests, extensive pretrial detentions and detentions without charge. Discrimination against religious minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and ethnic minorities are problems. Female genital mutilation, violence against women, child abuse, child labor and trafficking in persons are also significant concerns.

U. S. Military Assistance Prior to Sept. 11, 2001

During the Cold War, the United States had a strained military and political relationship with Ethiopia. However, throughout the 1990s, the United States provided Ethiopia with substantial military assistance including over $10 million in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and approximately $260,000 in Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) from 1990–2001. Also during that same period, Ethiopia received over $7 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and more than $2 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET). A large portion of the FMF and IMET was provided to Ethiopia’s military forces during the border war with Eritrea which lasted from 1998 to 2000. While the two countries signed a peace agreement in 2000, tensions remain, and progress on the demarcation of the border has been slow. During the conflict with Eritrea, Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) had approximately 350,000 personnel, and while 150,000 soldiers have been demobilized since the end of the war, Ethiopia’s military continues to be one of the largest in Africa

U. S. Military Assistance Since Sept. 11, 2001

Ethiopia has been central to U.S. anti–terrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa on both the security and fiscal fronts. Ethiopia has stepped up its border control efforts and helped the U.S. freeze financial assets of suspected terrorists. Ethiopia witnessed a drop in military assistance with the end of the Ethiopian–Eritrean conflict, and between Fiscal Year 2000 (FY 00) and FY 02, the United States granted Ethiopia no FMF and $152,000 in IMET. In FY 02, however, Ethiopia was given $2.25 million in FMF and $445,000 in IMET. For FY 03, Ethiopia was given $4 million in FMF, $210,000 in IMET, and $1 million in Economic Support Fund (ESF) assistance. For FY 04 Ethiopia has been given an estimated $2.4 million in FMF, $570,000 in IMET and nearly $5 million in ESF. For FY 05, Ethiopia has been promised $2 million in FMF, $600,000 in IMET and $5 million in ESF.

Case Study Profile

Country	Ethiopia
Government Type	Federal Republic
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births–2001 estimate)	130.22
Total Armed Forces (2004 estimate)	200,000
Military Expenditure (U.S.$) (2000 estimate)	$800 million
Military Expenditure % GDP (2000 estimate)	12.6%
Imports/Conventional Arms Transfers (U.S. $, millions – 2001 estimate)	0
Human Rights Record 2002	poor

Ethiopia’s Submission to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms
1993	n/a
1994	n/a
1995	0
1996	0
1997	0
1998	n/a
1999	n/a
2000	n/a
2001	n/a

Fiscal Year	IMET	FMF	FSA	ESF	Total
1990	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
1991	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
1992	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
1993	$160,000	$0	$0	$0	$160,000
1994	$113,000	$500,000	$0	$0	$613,000
1995	$248,000	$300,000	$0	$0	$548,000
1996	$327,000	$1,430,000	$0	$0	$1,757,000
1997	$313,000	$1,000,000	$0	$0	$1,313,000
1998	$279,000	$1,000,000	$0	$0	$1,279,000
1999	$516,000	$2,900,000	$0	$0	$3,416,000
2000	$152,000	$0	$0	$0	$152,000
2001	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
2002	$445,000	$250,000	$0	$0	$695,000
2002 ERF	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
2002 SUP	$0	$2,000,000	$0	$0	$2,000,000
2003	$210,000	$4,000,000	$0	$1,075,000	$5,285,000
2004 (estimate)	$570,000	$2,480,000	$0	$4,971,000	$8,021,000
2005 (request)	$600,000	$2,000,000	$0	$5,000,000	$7,600,000
Total	$3,933,000	$17,860,000	$0	$11,046,000	$32,839,000

Sources

“Background Note: Ethiopia,” Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, March 2004.

“Human Development Report,” United Nations, 2002.

“Human Rights Report 2003,” U.S. Department of State, Feb. 25, 2004.

Shinn, David H., “Terrorism in East Africa and the Horn: An Overview,” Journal of Conflict Studies, vol. 23, no.2, Fall 2003.

“The World Fact Book,” U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2003.

“United Nations Register of Conventional Arms,” UN Department for Disarmament Affairs.