The Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP; Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ፌደራል ፖሊስ, romanized: ye'ītiyop'iya fēdirali polīsi) is the primary law enforcement agency of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Federal Police officers in Addis Ababa.
Historical Overview
Modern police force dates back in 1913 during Emperor Menelik II reign, which were colloquially called "Yeketema Zebegna" (City's Guard). It has since the department evolved to several reforms to meet demand at the time.
The force as a modern institution was established in 1942. The Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP) was formally established in its current form in 1995 and renewed its department under Proclamation No. 720/2011, which organized the Addis Ababa Police Commission (AAPC) under control of the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission (EEPC) to intensify dynamic institutional capabilities.
Over the past fifty years, Ethiopia has gone from one extreme to the other - from feudalism to socialism before settling in the 1990s for a significantly more open political system. The police have not been exempt from the political winds that have blown in different directions in Ethiopia. As a law enforcement body, it has continued its tradition of serving the government of the day, yet the political changes have had an impact.
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Organizational Structure and Mandate
As an autonomous organ, the EFP is surveyed by the Ministry of Peace and administered by the Federal Police Commission enshrined under Proclamation No. 720/2011. In accordance with Article 55(1) under Proclamation No. 720/2011, the Constitution guarantees the commission to work as autonomous federal organ having its own legal personality, which is accountable to Ministry of Peace.
The EFP was created with the objective to maintain public security, ensure the observation of human and democratic rights. To check human rights issues related to police force, the National Human Rights Commission and an Ombudsman was established in 2000.
The Federal Police Commission was established in June 2000 and enshrined the power to administer the Federal Police and the government adapted the Federal Police Commission division the Federal Police Commission Establishment Proclamation (FPCEP) No. 313/213.
The Federal Police Commission Proclamations of 2000, 2003 or 2011 stipulate a constitutional and criminal code obligation of Federal Police discipline. It then reinforced by the Federal Police Officers Administration Regulation of 2012 requiring to respect international human rights instruments by placing restriction over use of force, coercion and sexually motivated abuse that are considered grave disciplinary offenses.
When the country adopted the federal system, the structure of the police force changed substantially. Like many federal and devolved systems, Ethiopia has both federal and regional security forces.
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Bringing good governance to Ethiopia’s police directly involves reviewing and reforming the decision-making process in the force. It also means ensuring that the implementation of decisions reflect the principles of good governance. The process should be participatory, it should aim to be consensus-oriented, transparent, inclusive, and follow the rule of law. It needs to ensure that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making.
Key Components of the Ethiopian Justice System
- The Federal Prison Commission: Established under Proclamation No. 365/2003, it is responsible to the Ministry of Federal Affairs. Its objectives are to guard and admit prisoners and provide reformative and rehabilitative service in order to alter to good behavior and restore into law complying person.
- The State Justice Bureaus: These are part of the executive branch of the state government and mirror the Federal Ministry of Justice in their structure and mandate.
- The State Police and Prison Commissions: These are independent police commission divisions that serve at the regional level and are accountable to the State Justice Bureaus.
Recent Developments and Challenges
In 2006 to 2010 national development plan, the Ethiopian government implemented justice system reform plan particularly for community policing, the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP).
More recently, the police have started something more far-reaching; implementing what is known as “Business Process Reengineering (BPR).” Speaking in general terms, BPR represents a management approach that aims at institutional improvement and better service delivery by means of increasing effectiveness of the processes that exist within organizations - in this case the police force. The very fact that the police consider their work as ‘service delivery’ is in itself a departure from the past.
In the last fifteen years, however, Ethiopia’s regional states have established regional special police forces, in addition to the regular regional state police. The role and status of special police forces in Ethiopia remain contested. Resembling paramilitary forces, the regional special police units are well armed and receive military training. They are rapidly growing in size and have successfully recruited senior (former) army officers into their ranks.
In current and previous regime, the Addis Ababa Police often involved in advocacy of political agenda rather than committing to Constitution. Police misconduct is resurging severe in recent years.
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State Security Organizations
Ethiopia maintains several state security organizations to ensure national security and maintain law and order:
- Ethiopian National Defence Force: Approximately 140,000 personnel strong, comprising the army and air force.
- Ethiopian Federal Police: Established in 1995, with an estimated 30,000 personnel, responsible for maintaining law and order at the federal level and investigating organized crime.
- State Police Forces: Regional police forces that maintain law and order in Ethiopia’s constituent states.
- Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Service: Established in 1995, tasked with gathering information necessary to protect national security.
Ethiopian protesters killed in stampede after trying to flee cops
Challenges and Considerations
Several challenges persist within the Ethiopian security apparatus:
- Political Influence: There are concerns about the influence of political agendas on law enforcement, potentially compromising impartiality.
- Human Rights: Documented human rights violations indicate the need for greater accountability and adherence to international human rights standards.
- Corruption: Although perceived as individual rather than systemic, corruption within the security forces remains a concern.
- Centralization vs. Regional Autonomy: The balance between centralized control and regional autonomy in security provision poses ongoing challenges.
Many interviewees pointed to the sustained trajectory of professionalization that the Ethiopian military has gone through, focusing on human resources, education and operational capability. Its competence and its international standing make it a positive exception to the lack of ‘technocratic integrity’ that has been observed in respect of other aspects of the Ethiopian administration, i.e. the prevalent lack of alignment betweeen bureaucratic capability and bureaucratic autonomy that is required for effective policy implementation.
The Ethiopian Federal Police March Band traced back to 1940s.
