Democratization in Ethiopia – will they make it?

After years of authoritarian rule and oppression, Ethiopia has reached a turning point after the appointment of its new Prime Minister Abye Ahmed. Political prisoners have been released, a new rhetoric introduced, and a number of reforms put forward – including the preparation for new elections in 2020. Many new challenges have occurred, however, and the process is slow and unsteady. Professor Fantu Cheru guides us in understanding what is happening at present, pointing at prospects and challenges that he sees coming out of the situation. Fantu Cheru is Emeritus Professor of African and Development Studies at American University in Washington, D.C., a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for African Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, and Adjunct Professor of International Relations at Bahirdar University, Ethiopia. His most recent publications include "The Oxford Handbook of the Ethiopian Economy". The seminar is moderated by Lennart Wohlgemuth, FUF Board Member.