CHAPTER TWO 2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 2.1 Overview 21 Ethiopia, one of the world’s oldest countries, has had a long, varied, and troubled history. Unique among African countries, during its three millennia of existence, Ethiopia never was colonised - with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation, from 1936-41. However, for much of its history, peace has eluded Ethiopia, resulting in lengthy periods of socio-economic and political stagnation. 22 After centuries of feudal monarchical rule, prolonged civil war, and subsequent rule by the Derg regime, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) seized power in 1991. Since assuming office, the EPRF has been squarely facing several formidable challenges: doing away with the authoritarian and repressive rule of the past, and instituting a constitutionally guaranteed federal democratic political system in its place. This process has gone hand in hand with dismantling a state-dominated and underdeveloped command economy, and introducing a market-oriented economy. For a liberation movement that emerged in 1998 from the long-drawn out civil war, and now facing the horrendous and daunting challenges of transforming the Ethiopian polity into a political party and state, these challenges were no doubt a daunting task. 23 The new regime was, however, undeterred. It adopted a quadruple transformation that included: negotiating diversity among the nationalities, at the same time as they were building state capacity; democratising the political systems; and, liberalising economic institutions. The new rulers and the peoples of Ethiopia, as well as the national political elite, demonstrated strong political will and commitment in support of the political process to move forward on the road to democracy and development. After almost two decades of relative peace and political stability, and with the cooperation of the international community and development partners, Ethiopia has registered noteworthy achievements in all the APRM thematic areas. Unlike instant coffee, there is no instant socioeconomic and political transformation. 24 For the first time ever, a federal democratic political system was introduced by the 1994 FDRE Constitution, consisting of a federal government and nine regional states. Censorship was abolished, another first in the country’s modern history, and a vibrant private press mushroomed in major urban areas, especially Addis Ababa. Civil and political liberties, individual human rights and freedoms freedom of the press, expression, belief, thought, association and assembly - as well as collective/group rights were constitutionally guaranteed. Ethiopian people - 47 -