Ethiopia

Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous country and one of the oldest independent nations in the world, famously never colonized during the Scramble for Africa (except for a brief Italian occupation from 1936-1941). Addis Ababa serves as the diplomatic capital of Africa, hosting the headquarters of the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and numerous international organizations. Ethiopia was a founding member of the United Nations.

The country has undergone dramatic political transformation, from the imperial era of Haile Selassie to the Marxist Derg regime and the ethnic federalism of the EPRDF, to the reformist government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since 2018. Abiy's initial reforms earned him the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for the peace agreement with Eritrea, but the devastating Tigray conflict (2020-2022) severely damaged Ethiopia's international standing. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile remains a major source of tension with downstream Egypt and Sudan.

Ethiopia is one of the largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping operations and plays a central mediating role in Horn of Africa conflicts through IGAD. The country joined BRICS in 2024, reflecting its aspiration to be a voice for the Global South.