The law and politics of internal secession: The Ethiopian experience in comparative perspective

Abstract

Although secession has been the subject of much scholarly work, the focus has largely been on the external dimension of secession, the decision of a territory to leave an existing state and establish itself as independent state. Little attention has been provided to the less radical solution of internal secession, the right of a community or territory to secede from a subnational unit and establish its own unit. The Ethiopian constitution is probably the only constitution that provides for internal secession as a constitutional right. It also provides for a procedure according to which the right to internal secession can be exercised. Focusing on the Ethiopian experience, this chapter discusses the law and politics of internal secession in a comparative perspective. It examines the grounds that may justify internal secession and the procedure that must govern a request for internal secession.