Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the relationship between inequalities and identities in Ethiopia with special reference to globally riveting contentions on striking a balance between individual citizen rights and collective group rights. It seeks to contribute to the debate through a nuanced ethnographic analysis of why identities with distinct notions of inequality persist, even after being attacked and ideologically repudiated. The book focuses on how the sizable ethnic minorities of southern Ethiopia, each made up of a staggering number of hierarchically structured sub-ethnic identities, have engaged with the new state’s ethnic group rights politics and related policies. It highlights the structural and cultural variables that limit the emancipatory potential of the international human rights regime. The book explores the relationship between identities and inequalities in the context of an unprecedented government pledge to promote human rights with a distinct emphasis on ethnic group rights.