The Politics of Secularism in Ethiopia: Repression and Co-option Towards the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church.

This article examines the nature and extent of government intervention in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) since the introduction of secularism in Ethiopia’s 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution, which mandates separation of state and religion under Article 11. It argues that successive regimes—the military junta (1974–1991), the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF, 1991–2018), and the Prosperity Party (PP) under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (post-2018)—have employed tactics of co-option and repression to manipulate the EOTC for political ends, contradicting constitutional secularism. The study highlights government involvement in church leadership appointments, internal schisms, violent attacks on Orthodox followers and churches, and the marginalization of Orthodox Christians from key political positions. It concludes that Ethiopia’s de facto secularism functions more as a political tool to reshape the church in line with state interests rather than a genuine separation of religion and state.