Harari Region
The Harari People's National Regional State, commonly referred to as the Harari Region, is the smallest administrative division in Ethiopia, encompassing an area of 334 square kilometers and a projected population of 276,000 as of 2022.[1] Located in eastern Ethiopia and entirely surrounded by the Oromia Region, it functions as an ethnically based autonomous state under Ethiopia's federal system, primarily serving as the homeland for the Harari people. Its capital, Harar, is a historic walled city that originated as a major trading hub due to its strategic position between coastal lowlands and central highlands, dating back before the 13th century.[2] Harar Jugol, the fortified historic town, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 for its outstanding universal value, including over 82 mosques, 102 shrines, and distinctive Harari architecture reflecting centuries of Islamic scholarship and commerce.[2] The region traces its political roots to the Harari Kingdom (1520–1568), followed by an independent emirate in the 17th century, before incorporation into the Ethiopian Empire in 1887.[2] Predominantly Muslim, with Harari and Oromo as official languages, the area preserves unique cultural practices tied to its role as a center of Somali-Adal Sultanate influence and East African trade routes. Despite its modest size, Harari's preservation of vernacular stone houses and gates underscores its enduring significance in Ethiopian and Islamic heritage.[3]Geography
Physical Features and Borders
 and fortified by the city's 5-km-long walls—originally constructed in the mid-16th century under Emir Nur ibn Mujahid but maintained and expanded during the emirate period to include five gates.[16] Key emirs included Talha ibn Ja'far (c. 1675–1678), who repelled Oromo incursions, and later rulers like Emir Abu Bakr (c. 1783–1791), under whom Harar solidified its role as a hub for Islamic scholarship, hosting madrasas and producing notable texts in Harari and Arabic.[18] The polity's military relied on Harari infantry, Oromo cavalry alliances, and occasional Somali levies, enabling it to control surrounding territories and resist expansionist pressures from the Ethiopian Empire under emperors like Susenyos in the 17th century and Iyasu I in the early 18th.[19] Economically, the emirate thrived on caravan trade routes linking the Ethiopian interior to the Red Sea port of Zeila, exporting slaves, ivory, civet musk, and later coffee—Harar's highlands becoming a prime cultivation zone by the 19th century—while importing textiles, spices, and firearms from Arabia and India.[16] Local crafts, including basketry, leatherworking, and silver jewelry, flourished within the city's 82 mosques and over 100 shrines, fostering a distinct Harari cultural identity rooted in Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i school.[18] However, internal strife, such as succession disputes in the 18th century, and external factors like Oromo migrations eroded territorial control, reducing the emirate's influence by the mid-19th century amid Egyptian interventions in the region from 1875 to 1885.[20] The emirate's demise came in early 1887 during Menelik II's southern expansion campaign. On 6 January, Ethiopian forces under Ras Makonnen Yilma decisively defeated a combined Harari-Oromo army of approximately 20,000 at the Battle of Chelenqo, leveraging superior rifles and artillery against Harar Emir Abdullah ibn Muhammad's spearmen and horsemen.[21] Harar surrendered on 8 January without further resistance; Emir Abdullah was exiled to Shewa, and the city was placed under provisional Ethiopian administration, marking the end of Harari sovereignty after 240 years.[20] This conquest integrated Harar into the Ethiopian domain, though local governance persisted under appointed naib (deputies) until full centralization.[16]Conquest and Integration into Ethiopia
The conquest of the Emirate of Harar by Shewan forces under Emperor Menelik II marked the end of its independence and its incorporation into the expanding Ethiopian Empire. In late 1886, Menelik II, then Negus of Shewa, dispatched an army led by his cousin Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael to subjugate Harar, citing historical claims to the region stemming from earlier Ethiopian interactions.[20] The campaign culminated in the Battle of Chelenqo on January 6, 1887, where Ethiopian forces decisively defeated the Harari army commanded by Emir Abdullah ibn Muhammad, resulting in heavy casualties for the emirate's troops.[22] Following the victory at Chelenqo, Ras Makonnen's forces advanced and captured the walled city of Harar on January 9, 1887, effectively dismantling the emirate's military resistance. Emir Abdullah initially escaped but was later apprehended and executed by Ethiopian authorities in May 1887.[22] Menelik II formalized the conquest through agreements with local Harari leaders, integrating the territory as the province of Harar under direct imperial administration.[23] Integration involved significant administrative and economic restructuring to align Harar with the Ethiopian Empire's centralized governance. Ras Makonnen was appointed governor (Dejazmach) of Harar on January 27, 1887, and held the position until his death in 1906, overseeing the imposition of Amhara-Shewan officials and the redistribution of land from Harari elites to Ethiopian soldiers and settlers.[24] [20] This process undermined traditional Harari land tenure systems and economic dominance in regional trade, particularly in coffee and slaves, redirecting revenues to support Menelik's imperial expansions.[25] Religious sites faced alterations, such as the demolition of certain mosques to build imperial storehouses, symbolizing the shift from emirate autonomy to Ethiopian sovereignty.[26] The incorporation solidified Ethiopia's control over eastern trade routes to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, enhancing the empire's strategic position amid the Scramble for Africa. While local Harari resistance persisted through sporadic revolts, the military superiority and administrative reforms under Ras Makonnen ensured Harar's enduring integration into the Ethiopian state until the 20th-century shifts in governance.[27] Historical analyses note that Menelik's expansionist policies, including the Harar conquest, transformed disparate kingdoms into a unified empire, though at the cost of subjugating distinct cultural and political entities.[20]20th Century Developments and Ethnic Federalism
In the early 20th century, the Harar area remained under centralized Ethiopian imperial administration following its incorporation in 1887, with Menelik II's officers establishing firm control by the 1910s through military garrisons and tax collection systems. Harar functioned as the administrative center of Hararghe Province under Emperor Haile Selassie (r. 1930–1974), hosting a key military division and experiencing infrastructure developments like road expansions, though local Muslim Harari elites faced restrictions on autonomy amid the emperor's Orthodox Christian-centric policies.[28] The Second Italo-Ethiopian War disrupted this in 1935–1936, when Italian forces bombed Harar on March 29, 1936, and occupied the city on May 8, 1936, incorporating it into Italian East Africa with administrative changes favoring settler colonialism and suppression of local resistance.[29][30] Liberation by British and Ethiopian troops in spring 1941 restored Ethiopian sovereignty, reintegrating Harar into the empire without significant devolution of power.[28] The 1974 Ethiopian Revolution brought the Derg military junta to power, which nationalized land in 1975 and imposed uniform socialist policies across provinces, including Hararghe, eroding private property rights and traditional Harari land tenure systems while centralizing authority in Addis Ababa.[31] Harar served as a military hub during the Ogaden War (1977–1978), when Somali forces advanced toward the city before Ethiopian counteroffensives, backed by Soviet and Cuban troops, repelled them by March 1978.[32] The Derg's villagization programs and conscription drives exacerbated local tensions, as Harari properties were seized and residents faced forced relocations amid broader economic decline.[33] The Derg's collapse in May 1991, following EPRDF advances, ushered in transitional governance that prioritized ethnic self-determination over unitarism. Ethiopia's 1995 Constitution formalized ethnic federalism, delineating regions around major ethnic groups' historical territories to enable self-rule, language rights, and cultural preservation.[34] The Harari Region emerged in 1995 as one of nine (later eleven) such states, carved from East Hararghe Zone with an area of 334 km² and Harar as its capital, granting the Harari people—numbering around 25,000 in the city—a dedicated administration despite their minority status amid Oromo majorities.[35][36] This structure, rooted in EPRDF ideology, aimed to rectify perceived centralist grievances but has been critiqued for institutionalizing ethnic boundaries, potentially fueling irredentism in compact units like Harari, which remains enclaved by Oromia Region.[37]Government and Administration
Political Framework under Ethnic Federalism
The Harari People Regional State functions as a semi-autonomous entity within Ethiopia's ethnic federalism system, as established by Article 47 of the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Constitution, which designates it as one of the regional states to promote self-rule for the Harari ethnic group.[38] This framework devolves legislative and executive powers to the region on matters such as education, health, and local administration, while reserving national defense, foreign affairs, and monetary policy for the federal government. The regional constitution, adopted to align with federal principles, emphasizes Harari autonomy and cultural preservation amid a demographic where Hararis constitute a minority (approximately 7% of the population) compared to the Oromo majority (over 80%).[39] The legislative branch operates as a bicameral State Council comprising 36 seats divided into two bodies: the Harari National Assembly with 14 seats reserved exclusively for Harari ethnic representatives to safeguard indigenous self-administration, and the House of Peoples with 22 seats allocated proportionally to other ethnic groups, including Oromo, Amhara, and Somali residents.[39] [40] Members of both houses are elected directly by universal suffrage every five years through a system prioritizing ethnic representation, reflecting ethnic federalism's aim to prevent domination by numerically superior groups.[39] The State Council holds powers to enact laws, approve budgets, and oversee the executive, with the Harari National Assembly providing veto authority on issues affecting Harari cultural and political rights, such as land use and historical sites in Harar.[39] [41] Executive authority resides with the President, who must be of Harari ethnicity and is elected by the State Council for a five-year term, serving as both head of state and government.[39] [40] The President appoints a cabinet from State Council members or others, subject to council approval, and exercises powers including implementing laws, managing regional administration, and representing the state federally.[39] As of 2023, Ordin Bedri holds the presidency, leading under the Prosperity Party, which dominates regional politics following the merger of ethnic-based parties.[42] This structure addresses Harari minority status by institutionalizing protections against assimilation, though tensions persist over resource allocation and Oromo influence, exemplified by disputes in the 2021 national elections where Harari voters faced reported underrepresentation challenges.[43] The framework promotes inter-ethnic coexistence through provisions mandating equitable participation and conflict resolution mechanisms, yet critics argue it entrenches ethnic exclusivity, potentially exacerbating divisions in a region where non-Hararis form the bulk of the 256,000 residents (2023 estimate).[39] [41] Federal oversight ensures constitutional adherence, with the House of Federation resolving disputes between states or with the center, underscoring Harari's position as a model—and point of contention—in Ethiopia's experiment with identity-based governance.[38][44]List of Chief Administrators
- Fuad Ibrahim served as president of the Harari regional government in 2001.[26] He remained in the position in July 2004.
- Murad Abdulhadi was re-elected as president by the Harari State Council on 24 October 2010.[45] He continued to hold the office in October 2015.[46]
- Ordin Bedri has served as president since 2019.[47] The regional council re-elected him on 22 October 2021.[48] He holds the position as of 2023.[49]