Ethiopia, as a multi-ethnic country with a long history, has tried various governance models in history, but the ethnic issue has never been resolved. The 1994 Constitution established a national federal system, emphasizing the important role of ethnic groups in national construction, and meeting the needs of different ethnic groups through regional division and power distribution. However, in recent years, regional conflicts have occurred frequently, and ethnic issues have once again become prominent. The ethnic issue in Ethiopia has typical, geographical, complex, and conflicting characteristics, making it a subject of concern for multidisciplinary scholars. Scholars have conducted research on the historical development, practical effects, risks of national fragmentation, and the limited value of the "right to ethnic separation" of ethnic federalism. On the basis of existing research and constitutional texts, this article combines historical changes, political dynamics, and socio-cultural characteristics to reveal the particularity and complexity of the practice of ethnic federalism. It points out that in the modernization process of developing multi-ethnic countries, it is not enough to rely solely on the transplantation and reference of ethnic federalism. After recognizing institutional deficiencies, it is necessary to explore the path of constructing a nation-state that is in line with its own characteristics, with the core of legal national identity.

National Construction and Ethnic Policy Evolution in Ethiopia

Explored Ethiopia's choice of national structural forms in the construction of a multi-ethnic country, particularly the evolution and practice of ethnic federalism. The article points out that multi-ethnic countries in Africa usually avoid issues of ethnic diversity, while Ethiopia has explicitly stated the "right to ethnic separation" in its constitution, and its national federal system has its historical roots. In history, the centralized rule and assimilation policies of the Abyssinian people have led to ethnic conflicts, especially among the Oromo people, which have had a profound impact. During the military government period, attempts were made to solve ethnic issues through socialist reform and regional ethnic autonomy, but ultimately failed. In 1991, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front overthrew the military government, and in 1995, the constitution came into effect, marking the formal implementation of the national federal system. This system aims to meet the autonomy demands of various ethnic groups through decentralization and autonomy, in order to maintain political unity. At the end of the article, it is emphasized that examining Ethiopia's national federal system is of great significance for reflecting on the construction of a multi-ethnic country.

The national federal system constructed by the 1994 Constitution of Ethiopia

Elaborated in detail the structure and characteristics of the national federal system in Ethiopia's 1994 Constitution. The Constitution regards the resolution of ethnic issues as the core of the top-level design of the country, emphasizing the central position of "ethnicity" in the national system. Through the preamble and relevant provisions of the constitution, the Ethiopian constitution clarifies the definition of "all ethnic groups and their peoples", emphasizes the multi-ethnic characteristics of the country, and attempts to confirm the equal status and democratic rights of all ethnic groups through the constitution, in order to alleviate ethnic conflicts and achieve national unity and solidarity.

Characteristics of the Ethiopian National Federation System

The Ethiopian national federal system effectively alleviates domestic tensions through consensus among all ethnic groups, providing a foundation for national restructuring and development. Its characteristics include: (1) a top-down construction path, belonging to an aggregated federation, achieving decentralization and autonomy through central decentralization, and exchanging ethnic separation rights for members' commitment to remain in the federation; (2) Uneven national structural arrangements, significant differences in territory, population, culture, and other aspects among member states, inequality in the practice of ethnic autonomy, uneven political power between the federal government and member states, and unequal access to resources; (3) Ethnic identity and political identity are highly unified, and nationalism has become an important factor in the political ecology. Ethnic identity is increasingly becoming a political identity, leading to the dual Balkanization of national territory and culture. The expansion of ethnic political identity exacerbates racial division and increases the difficulty of national integration.

Reflection on the Four Ethnic Federal System and the Path of National Construction

Ethiopia's national federal system is a choice made by the country based on historical traditions to achieve the construction of a multi-ethnic state. Although it brings formal national unity, there are also hidden dangers of separation. While meeting the demand for ethnic autonomy, federalism may exacerbate ethnic heterogeneity within political communities, leading to separatist issues. The Ethiopian Constitution grants ethnic self-determination and separation rights, but may exacerbate cultural heterogeneity issues and trigger political crises. To overcome the paradox of national federalism, it is necessary to maintain national political unity within the existing constitutional framework, while shaping identity and value recognition that transcends ethnicity.

Five concluding remarks

Emphasizing the importance of national structural forms in the construction of nation states, it is pointed out that the construction of multi-ethnic states is a complex and lengthy historical evolution process that requires institutional arrangements beyond national structural arrangements to be effective. Although the national federal system has shaped the shell of a multi-ethnic country for Ethiopia, it has also limited the transition from ethnic identity to national identity. To achieve the unity and stability of a multi-ethnic country, it is necessary to tap into its own institutional resources, leverage the integrated value of the constitution, safeguard citizens' rights and interests, and at the same time, tap into the shared historical and cultural resources of multiple ethnic groups to create emotional bonds with the people as the main body.