State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali Borderlands
Cross-border trade is an enduring feature of African borderlands. Ethiopia had a long history of informal economic relations in its frontiers. This study examined the prevalent trends of economic relations in theEthiopia-Somaliland borderlands, with particular refer...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Addis Ababa University
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/EJSSH/article/view/6413/5030 |
| _version_ | 1797817696772947968 |
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| author | Tezera Tazebew Asnake Kefale |
| author_facet | Tezera Tazebew Asnake Kefale |
| author_sort | Tezera Tazebew |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cross-border trade is an enduring feature of African borderlands. Ethiopia had a long history of informal economic relations in its frontiers. This study examined the prevalent trends of economic relations in theEthiopia-Somaliland borderlands, with particular reference to the post-1991 period. These trends are assessed in the context of the entrenchment of state authority.The paper found that ‘informal’ trade, which is pervasive in these borderlands, is not as such informal. Indeed, the distinction between formal and informal is found to be imprecise. The conventional view holds that the presence of a large size of informal economy is a manifestation of state’s weakness. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this paper shows that state capacity is not something to be owned or possessed but rather is a result of a multifaceted negotiation of actors on the ground. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:57:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e53eb54251a4c7199ad66471550bac2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1810-4487 2520-582X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:57:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Addis Ababa University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e53eb54251a4c7199ad66471550bac22023-05-28T12:32:29ZengAddis Ababa UniversityEthiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities1810-44872520-582X2021-12-01172113140State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali BorderlandsTezera Tazebew 0Asnake Kefale1Lecturer, Department of Civics and Ethical Studies, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of GondaAssociate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa UniversityCross-border trade is an enduring feature of African borderlands. Ethiopia had a long history of informal economic relations in its frontiers. This study examined the prevalent trends of economic relations in theEthiopia-Somaliland borderlands, with particular reference to the post-1991 period. These trends are assessed in the context of the entrenchment of state authority.The paper found that ‘informal’ trade, which is pervasive in these borderlands, is not as such informal. Indeed, the distinction between formal and informal is found to be imprecise. The conventional view holds that the presence of a large size of informal economy is a manifestation of state’s weakness. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this paper shows that state capacity is not something to be owned or possessed but rather is a result of a multifaceted negotiation of actors on the ground. http://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/EJSSH/article/view/6413/5030borderlandborder regioninformal tradegovernancestate capacity |
| spellingShingle | Tezera Tazebew Asnake Kefale State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali Borderlands Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities borderland border region informal trade governance state capacity |
| title | State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali Borderlands |
| title_full | State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali Borderlands |
| title_fullStr | State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali Borderlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali Borderlands |
| title_short | State Capacity and Trade in the Ethiopia-Somali Borderlands |
| title_sort | state capacity and trade in the ethiopia somali borderlands |
| topic | borderland border region informal trade governance state capacity |
| url | http://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/EJSSH/article/view/6413/5030 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tezeratazebew statecapacityandtradeintheethiopiasomaliborderlands AT asnakekefale statecapacityandtradeintheethiopiasomaliborderlands |