How does Ethiopia's 1994 constitution address ethnic autonomy and self-determination?

Ethiopia’s 1994 constitution fundamentally restructured the state by enshrining the principles of regionalism and ethnic autonomy. Rather than vesting sovereignty in the people as a whole, the document explicitly states that "sovereignty resides in the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia".123

To implement this, the constitution devolved power to regional states, which were organized in an attempt to create ethnic homogenates. Key features of this framework include:31

• Self-Determination: The constitution grants each nation, nationality, or people the right to self-determination, which includes the right to secession.3
• Political Representation: All nations, nationalities, and peoples are guaranteed the right to participate in government, with each group represented by at least one member in the House of the Federation.4
• Governance: The system established a federal structure where power is shared between the federal government and regional states, often composed of coalitions of ethnic groups.12

These measures were designed to reflect the country's ethnic diversity within its political and administrative institutions.14