Book Review

A Review of Tesfatsion Medhanie�s Towards Confederation in the Horn of Africa: Focus on Ethiopia and Eritrea.  (Cuvillier Verlag Gottingen , 2009)

By Teodros Kiros, PhD

The politics of the Horn of Africa is now being vigorously addressed by a major book, at the right time, and for the right reason. The time is right, because the African people of the horn are suffering from poverty, and wars, which unnecessarily exasperate the mood for war.  The reason is right, because Ethiopia and Eritrea have tried all kinds of permutations to seek peace, including war to produce peace. They have however, miserably failed. Perhaps, confederation for now, and federation free of domination for later might precisely be the panacea for this trying times.

The book under review seeks to awaken us subtly and in stages. For now, Medhanie asks only for Confederation, and nothing more.

This timely book, Towards Confederation in the Horn of Africa: Focus on Ethiopia and Eritrea is written by a highly seasoned and cosmopolitan mind, which is quietly stretching our imagination and provoking our political sensibilities to think coolly and plan rationally.

Medhanie argues that confederation is simply speaking a political good that Ethiopia and Eritrea , as members of the Horn ought to embrace.  Desperate times call for desperate measures even though it has shortcomings, it is helpful to bring suffering people some workable relief leading to more intimate relationships. No doubt, to some Ethiopians and Eritreans, confederation is a desperate measure provoked by a desperate political condition. To others confederation is a vision, a possibility of a political form which could ground an economic partnership among the nations of the horn.

Medhanie argues that confederation proceeds on two paths, the political and psychological. Confederation is a political form for a common market that Ethiopia and Eritrea could establish.  Confederation is also a psychological therapy for the traumatized Ethiopian and Eritrean population. Both political and psychological paths, if carefully courted can benefit Ethiopia and Eritrea considerably, and set a mood and an example for the other nations within the horn.

Medehanie also agrees with those scholars who rightly have pointed out that genuine confederation can and must take place only after the present tyrannical regimes in Eritrea and in Ethiopia are replaced by authentic democrats untarnished by ethnic hatred but morally organized by a democratic common good.

Teodros Kiros, PhD

April 11, 2009

Under a radically new condition, confederation, which temporarily preserves the sovereignty of Ethiopia and Eritrea , ought to move all the way to the construction of a new Democratic Ethiopia with Eritrea as one of its organic parts.