Ethiopia: Can Ethiopia Ever Be At Peace? Four Reasons Conflict Keeps Flaring Up

What the report says

AllAfrica, citing an analysis from The Conversation Africa, says Ethiopia’s repeated conflicts reflect deeper political and constitutional disputes rather than a single isolated war. The piece, published in October 2026, points to more than five decades of recurring violence, including the civil war that followed Emperor Haile Selassie’s overthrow in 1974, the Tigray war, and continuing unrest in Amhara and Oromia.

The article argues that peace has remained fragile because the foundations of the state are still contested, ceasefires have often been treated as if they were full political settlements, armed force has remained a path to power, and regional rivalries have spilled into domestic politics. It says the 2022 Pretoria agreement helped stop fighting in Tigray, but left major issues unresolved, including disputed territory, regional governance, political participation and accountability. The article also notes that the Tigray leadership later fragmented, complicating implementation.

According to the analysis, Ethiopia’s recent history has reinforced the idea that power can be won through violence, making trust in elections, courts and negotiations harder to build. It also says the conflict environment has been shaped by outside pressures, including tensions with Eritrea, Somalia and Egypt, as well as broader Red Sea and Nile disputes. The main takeaway is that lasting calm would require agreement on how power is shared and how the federal system relates to the regions, not just new ceasefires.