Abstract
Based on a qualitative historical-sociological investigation of incidents of mass-killings that have been registered during the last one hundred and fifty years, this study concludes that both the unification of the Abyssinian state between 1850s and 1870s and the creation of the Ethiopian empire state during last quarter of the nineteenth century were accomplished through wars that were clearly genocidal. Though their aims were nation and state building, there were differences between the types of state and nation envisaged by the Abyssinia-cum-Ethiopian rulers of the two periods. The main aim of the nineteenth century rulers was to purge the Abyssinian state of religious and ethnic communities they perceived as ‘alien’ in order to build a homogenous Abyssinian nation and state. The nationalism of late nineteenth century rulers, as represented by its architect Menelik II, was expansionist. Abandoning the idea of Abyssinian homogeneity, they opted for hegemony over other peoples they had conquered in the hey-days of the European scramble for Africa. The result became a multinational empire state of Ethiopia. This study shows that the policies used building and maintaining the empire state has been oppressive, immensely exploitative, and genocidal. This had triggered ethnic nationalism that has been at loggerheads with the ‘official’ nationalism of the dominant ethnic group. Moreover, the conflict between the two brands of nationalism had increased in tandem with rising ethno-national consciousness and intensified since the mid 1970s as a consequence the policies of a military regime called the Dergue (1974-1991). The study confirms that there is clear nexus between authoritarian rule, genocide, man-made famines, and economic under-development in Ethiopia. It also suggests that there are several warning signs showing that genocide is in the making today. Taking the international context into account, the study indicates that the role of some Western states has been abetting rather than deterring genocide in Ethiopia.