ABSTRACT
Ethnicity suddenly became an issue in political, social and economic relations in the Ethiopia, after the institutionalisation of the ethnic federal system in the country. The right to self-determination of nations, nationalities and peoples that includes the right to secession is a fundamental principle that has been entrenched under the Ethiopian constitutional system. This chapter assesses some of the outstanding political issues that are involved in the application of the principle of self-determination and its implications. The chapter deals with the controversies involved in the adoption of the principle of self-determination and the factors responsible for adoption of the ethnic federal system. The next sections deal with the various implications of the principles of self-determination and secession on citizenship, structuring regional units as well as the need for consensus on the meaning and scope of self-determination among the political forces in Ethiopia.
