Ethiopia: Information on the independence of regional police forces from the national government, and on whether regional police forces share information with the central police force, and if so, by what means
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ETH24677.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ethiopia: Information on the independence of regional police forces from the national government, and on whether regional police forces share information with the central police force, and if so, by what means, 1 November 1996, ETH24677.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abf27c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was obtained in a 9 October 1996 telephone interview with a Horn of Africa specialist at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, who was expressing his own views. The national security forces are controlled by the central government. Regional police force are supposed to be independent, but it is difficult to assess the degree of autonomy they have in practice. The central government can delegate responsibility for certain matters to the regional police forces, but the central government, if it is concerned about how the regional police is performing, reserves the right to send in its own police force. "There is no clear picture of the chain of command," stated the specialist.
A professor of law familiar with Ethiopia at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, stated in a 9 September 1996 telephone interview that any appearance of police autonomy is "an illusion." The police are an appendage of the government and since the national government has sponsored the political parties controlling the regional governments, the central government is still able to influence regional police forces. The professor said the police in Ethiopia operate under a centralized command structure, not unlike that in place under the previous government. The proximity of the central governing authorities to the regional governments also allows for effective communication between regional and central police forces, according to the professor. Although there have been efforts to reduce the dominance of Tigreans in the regional police forces to make them appear to be more of a local police force, the centralized political authority in the country is also reflected within the command structure of the police forces in the country. Ethiopians serving in the police forces are those who are "ideologically in sympathy" with the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) government.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Horn of Africa specialist, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC. 9 October 1996. Telephone interview.
Professor of law familiar with Ethiopia, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. 9 September 1996. Telephone interview.
Additional Sources Consulted
Five sources contacted did not provide information on the requested subjects.
Unsuccessful attempts to contact other oral sources.