In late 2019, three of the four ethnic-based parties that make up Ethiopia’s ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front voted to merge into a single national party, called the Prosperity Party. Rather than representing any particular ethnic group, the aim is that it will try to be an all-encompassing national party that speaks for the entire Ethiopian people. In this article, Awol Allo, whose project critically assesses the role of medemer in Ethiopia’s peace process, reflects on the likely consequences of a pan-ethnic political party.
