Habtamu Girma Demiessie

PREDICAMENTS OF ETHIOPIA's WARTIME ECONOMY: Uncertainty, Aid Politics and Macroeconomic Instability Habtamu Girma Demiessie

This book examined the effect of prevailing uncertainty in Ethiopia associated to the ongoing war in the country's North on the national economy in the short run period. Discussions made were organized into SEVEN (7) Sections and TWENTY TWO (22) Chapters. Inferences drawn, conclusions made and suggestive notes forwarded were based on four interrelated original studies undertaken by the author of the book The first study explored the background contexts of the war, which depicted from local political and economic governances in the past three decades since 1991. The second study estimated & forecasted the uncertainty shock effect of the war on macroeconomic stability in the next four years at least. The third study assessed the role and importance of Western powers in the political, economic, security and diplomatic affairs in the contemporary Ethiopian settings. The fourth study investigated the political economy of foreign aid in reference to episodes in Ethiopia's relation with the Western countries following the outbreak of war in November 2020. The aim of the fourth study was to understand the magnitude and/or direction of effects of any possible economic sanctions by the West on the national economy in the upcoming few years As a matter of reality, the economic problem that Ethiopia is suffering from is not explained by economic framework alone, but also transcend beyond to being political, diplomatic and societal. Cognizant of this fact, the book investigated the chaotic economic environment in Ethiopia from broader arrays in the realm of domestic & global politics, geopolitics and international relations, among others To that end, the author tried to forward policy alternatives (solutions) in those broader perspectives which would help the Ethiopian government in its fight against multiple shocks tormenting the country & its 120 million people. More specifically, the book tries to dig-out the fractures of the political system - which is the major hindrance factor to socioeconomic progress of Ethiopian society - and reflect on possible way outs from the political impasse