The dynamics of securitization and desecuritization in Ethiopia: the case of civil society organizations (CSOs)

Abstract

While Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play a crucial role in the development endeavors of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) prefers to adopt a securitization approach, depicting their activities as a potential danger, counterproductive, amplify the voices of foreign actors, and ‘rent-seeking’. According to reports, CSOs have been characterized and delineated as political humanitarian, driven by self-interest, and as entities that amplify the voices of foreign actors. This study aims to elucidate the processes by which CSOs in Ethiopia were securitized and desecuritized, respectively, by the EPRDF government led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Prosperity Party. The paper explores the securitization and desecuritization dynamics of CSOs in Ethiopia, with a specific focus on the underlying reasons that contribute to these processes. This study also investigates the consequences of the EPRDF securitization measures on CSOs, as well as the potential obstacles faced by CSOs in Ethiopia. The analytical framework utilized in this study is the application of the notion of securitization as proposed by the Copenhagen School (CS). By constructing the data from unrevised documents, the paper characterizes the dynamics of securitization and desecuritization of CSOs in Ethiopia through an interpretive analytical approach.