| Abstract: | The FDRE Constitution incorporates fundamental rights, freedom of religion and
adopts secular form of government. As a result, believers of different faiths exercise
these rights freely for the first time in Ethiopian history. However, these efforts do
not bring religious peace and tolerance as expected. Thus, the presumed positive
correlation between secularism and sustainable inter-religious relations in Ethiopia
remains problematic. This paper attempts to look into the federal system of Ethiopia
and its capacity to manage religious conflicts. It tries to search for the causes of
religious conflicts in Jimma Zone of Oromiya National Regional State where the
problem is serious and frequent. Based on this fact, the research examines the
danger of extremism in the stability of the country, explores whether the government
organs and its officials implement the constitutionally recognized religious rights
and investigates whether the federal system is effective to prevent or mitigate
religious related conflicts. The design of the study is based on the qualitative
methodology. Information is gathered using primary and secondary data. The study
aims at collecting available sources of information from the informants through
interview and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Unstructured interview is
employed. Books, Journals, Reports, Internet sources, etc. are used as a secondary
data. The paper gives emphasis to the current challenges of the government in
managing religious conflict especially at the local levels of the government. Finally,
it suggests possible recommendations that will help to prevent religious conflict. |
