Ethiopia in the Image of the West in the 1980s

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to critically examine Ethiopia in the image of the west with special focus on the images behind the 1980s famine, civil war and refugee crisis. Ethiopia, being as one of the old countries in Africa, is known by its different features and developments in the global society. The image of Ethiopia in the west was not, however, uniform throughout its history; rather it has been characterized by varying images based on internal developments and the nature of its foreign policy. Behind the positive sides, the persistent drought, famine and war witnessed in the country left the negative image of Ethiopia in the west in the 1980s. As will be discussed in the below, the Ethiopian resounding victory over the Italian colonialists at Adwa in 1896 has received the global attention, which glorified the image of Ethiopia in the global society. Ethiopia has been the moving spirit behind the struggle against racism and colonialism. However, the famine complicated by the civil war and cold war politics of the east and west dramatically changed the image of Ethiopia in the west in 1980s. The source materials for this study are drawn from traveler accounts, newspapers, journal articles and other research works. In addition, archival sources from Däbrä Markos University Hadis Alämayehu Institute of Cultural Studies are consulted. Moreover, some elders who have personal experience on some issues of the discussion are interviewed. Their fascinating arguments and interpretations especially on the social and political implication of famine are objectively evaluated and discussed.