Ethiopia’s Insecurity Complex: Protest, Transition, and War

Ethiopia has been going through the most tumultuous period in its recent history, with conflict and civil war killing hundreds of thousands and leaving millions displaced. This book investigates the escalation and making of the current crises in Ethiopia, starting with the root causes of the protests (2015-2018), the bumpy transition (2018-2021), the civil war in the north (November 2020-November 2022) and ongoing violence in Amhara and Oromia regions, taking us up to 2024.

Adopting a diachronic approach, the book brings in historical insights to help us understand the causes of the crises and how they have led to current realities on the ground. The book presents a multiscalar analysis, investigating local identity and security concerns and state-level political, economic and security dynamics. Using the concept of the intrastate insecurity complex, the book sheds light on contested notions of security between state security on the one hand and societal security--the security of ethno-linguistic or cultural groups--on the other. It also takes into account the relevance of regime security in the complex dynamics between state and societal security.

Providing fresh conceptual and analytical perspectives on the unfolding situation, the book will be an important read for researchers, policymakers and practitioners interested in governance, development and security issues in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.

Yonas Tariku (PhD) is an assistant professor and academic coordinator at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University. He teaches Theories of Security, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Resolution. His primary research area focuses on security, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding. His latest publications include The Near Neighbors: Revisiting the Dynamics of Ethiopia’s Relations with Eritrea and Somalia (2025); and The Politics of National Liberation in Ethiopia: Origins of and Responses to State Weakness, Insecurity, and Insurgency (2024).

Fana Gebresenbet (PhD) is an associate professor of development and peacebuilding, and former Director of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University. His research interest primarily focuses on politics of development, political economy, migration, and security studies in Ethiopia and the Horn. He published articles and book chapters on these topics.