ኢትዮጵያ « ƆITƏJOPIJA »
Officially: የኢትዮጵያ (ያ) ፌዴራላዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ « jä-Ɔitəjopija (ja) Federalaŭi Dimokərasijaŭi Ripäbəlikə ».
English: Ethiopia.
Seat of government: አዲስ አበባ « Ɔädisə Ɔäbäba » / Finfinnee.
Status: Not democratic.
Structure: One-party state.
Governing party: የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች አብዮታዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ግንባር « jä-Ɔitəjopija Həzəbočə Ɔäbəjotaŭi Dimokərasijaŭi Gənəbarə », principally the ሕዝባዊ ወያኔ ሓርነት ትግራይ « Həzəbaŭi Ŭäjane Harənätə Təgərajə ».
Head of government: Abiyyi Ahimad Alii, prime minister (since 2018).
Assessment: መለስ ዜናዊ « Mäläsə Zenaŭi » (1991-2012), who created the current régime and was its ruler and nominal prime minister, was chief leader of the overthrow of dictator መንግስቱ ሃይለማርያም « Mänəgəsətu Hajəlämarəjamə » and the ደርግ « Därəgə » in 1991. His régime failed dramatically after its early promise. Though initially recognizing the independence of ኤርትራ « Ɔerətəra » in 1991, he provoked a two-year war with it in 1998 by insisting on border changes, notably around ባድሜ « Badəme »; tens of thousands were killed. Domestically he suppressed opposition and instituted a one-party state; violence has been used against those protesting rigged elections. He was also for some time the effective ruler of much of Soomaaliya, having ousted its strongest force, the Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga, in 2006-7, and supported the unelected transitional administration by stationing troops within recognized Soomaaliya; those troops were withdrawn in 2009, but some reinserted in 2011 with the rise of al-Shabaab, a radical splinter of the MMI. መለስ « Mäläsə » died in 2012. He was replaced by ኃይለማሪያም ደሳለኝ « Ĥajəlämarijamə Däsaläñə » (2012-8), who stepped down volutarily.
FH: 6-6, not free. Econ: 3.72 (123), authoritarian.
Updated: 2018 May 28.
 

O.T. FORD