How did Ethiopia’s 1995 constitution create a federal system based on regional autonomy?

Ethiopia’s 1995 constitution established a federal system by enshrining the principles of regionalism and ethnic autonomy, effectively devolving power to regional states.1

Key features of this framework include:

• Sovereignty: The constitution explicitly states that sovereignty resides in the "nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia" rather than the population as a whole.2
• Self-Determination: It grants each nation, nationality, or people the right to self-determination, which includes the right to secession.2
• Regional Structure: The system reorganized the country into regional states, many of which were formed as coalitions of smaller ethnic groups to reflect the country's ethnic diversity.1
• Legislative Representation: The federal structure is supported by a bicameral legislature, including a House of the Federation (the upper chamber), whose members are selected by state councils or through direct election, ensuring regional interests are represented at the federal level.2

By shifting the locus of sovereignty to ethnic groups and empowering regional states, the constitution fundamentally restructured the Ethiopian state away from its previous centralized models.21