(Semegn Meshesha)
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia have long made its commitment to a people-centered and economy-centered defense forces known to the region and the world by proclaiming its "determination to improve our lives by deploying everything for economic development and democratization free from arrogance and adventurism".
Indeed, the security policy of Ethiopia rejects the old path of unsustainable and costly military building by setting out an economic-effective prudent direction:
"We have to make sure that any expense, however big or small (each Birr and cent spent) contributes and enhances our security. Otherwise, the economy, and the defense sector as well, will suffer grievously. It is essential that we balance our economic development with our defense requirements, and in this way, ensure that everything spent on defense is spent prudently.
The peoples of Ethiopia have a long history of statehood and defending their sovereignty. However, the organization and mode of operation of the military has rarely been in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people and at times, it has been antagonistic to them.
For example, in 1974, when the Imperial Regime was pulled to pieces by the sacrifices made by the nation and nationalities of Ethiopia, the military officers hijacked the process and used it for their own end. The group of military officers who named themselves Derg designated the armed forces as the "vanguard of the revolution." Military cadres became active in peasant associations, political organizing, drought relief, and other duties once assigned to the regular police. The entire nation was militarized as it was deemed useful to sustain their hold on power.
Generally, soldiering has been the surest path to social advancement and economic reward in Ethiopia. Kings and nobles traditionally awarded land, titles, and political appointments to those who proved their loyalty, competence, and courage on the battlefield. As a result, warriors traditionally gave allegiance to that commander who could assure the fruits of victory to his followers, rather than to an abstract notion of the state or to government authority.
One notable aspect of the army in the Emperors era was that it lived off the peoples wherever it camped. When troops exhausted food and firewood, they struck their tents and moved on. Often, soldiers turned to brigandage. As narrated by one historian:
During Emperor Menelik II's reign (1889-1913), for example, many Ethiopians complained that soldiers "eat, drink, sleep, and grow fat at the expense of what the poor have."
Popular feeling against the military was strong in newly conquered territories, where at least a portion of the army would settle as colonists. The granting of tracts of conquered land to soldiers survived into the 1930s.
Soldiers benefiting from this system became the landlords and the tax collectors in areas they had conquered. Not surprisingly, the army's demands on local populations often prompted rebellions.
The post-1991 era was a different story.
The defence forces were shaped under a general framework that emphasizes "avoiding conflicts, by embarking on early negotiation; and, when all fails, in securing regional understanding as we work to have our interests protected. In ensuring reliable national security and peace, a strong defense obviously plays an indispensable role".
Indeed, the army’s discipline, its skills and its unique characteristics as well as its performance in maintaining the balance between internal development and peace, security and territorial integrity; its contributions to regional stability; and the successful efforts to build a symbiotic relationship between the army and economic development have all been visible and widely acclaimed.
However, that was driven by prudent and well-articulated policy directions. As the national defense policy states:
It has repeatedly been asserted by national security policy that our national security can be protected actually through development and democracy. Proceeding from this premise, and supported by proper analysis and study, our diplomacy has a major role in reducing tensions; in avoiding conflicts, by embarking on early negotiation; and, when all fails, in securing regional understanding as we work to have national interests protected. In ensuring reliable national security and peace, a strong defense obviously plays an indispensable role.
Creating an efficient and state-of-the-art information network significantly enhances the efforts launched in developing our defense strategies. This information/intelligence network must be fully capable of predicting threats to the nation's security and providing information of value to diplomatic and defense initiatives. The creation of a capable national defense force is similarly central to the protection of national security. The existence of military strength compels prospective aggressors to stop and think twice. This allows diplomacy to seek a peaceful solution. In other words, strength in military power is a necessary pre-condition for deterrence and effective diplomatic action.
Even if conflict were to break out, a strong military would help to acquire victory with minimal damage to our efforts directed at building democracy and fostering development. It is therefore proper that the institution of an intelligence capacity and the strengthening of our defense capabilities must be the basic strategy to realize our foreign affairs and national security objectives.
Indeed, the national defense policy articulated the essential points that have been overlooked and misjudged for decades. The national security policy stated that:
Proudly declaring that we shall build a defense force second to none is no solution. Even if we tried, the result would not be different from the debacle that the Derg faced. The definition of what constitutes an appropriate defense force must proceed from the threats that we face and our political and economic capacities to deal with them. …….
The national defense force that we build should essentially be within the limits of our economic capacity, and should not be above or below the needs defined by our threat analysis.
The formation of a defense force with the necessary democratic and developmental mindset enhanced the security of or country and created a vital agent of development as Ethiopia realizes its renaissance.