How is Ethiopia doing so bad even though they don’t suffer from the effects of colonialism like other African countries?

[Cisse78]

Considering how they always have been the wests “favourite” in the Horn of Africa, it’s so surprising how their country outside of their capital, is described by many and even it’s locals as poor and terrible to live in.

 

[sh-89]

Ethiopia had the same curse of tribalism we just don't notice it as much. They have this tribe called Amharic who see Oromos as inferior. They are Somaliland etc. The whole East Africa is cursed with insanity probably more than West Africa etc. Also bad geographical location like Somalia. There war is bad like Sudan to a point that Somalia is now safer.

 

[Hilmaam]

Ethiopia borders were made by colonialists same as Somalia Kenya and rest of east Africa

 

[Keep it a boqol]

Ethiopia borders were made by colonialists same as Somalia Kenya and rest of east Africa

bu but NeVeR bEen CoLoNizEd Saar 🫡

 

[balanbalis]

Because ethnic groups that historically conflicted were suddenly forced under the banner of the modern day ‘Ethiopia’. Imagine telling an Amhara 500 years ago that they’d be sharing a country with Muslims, Somalis, Oromos etc while living separately from Tigrayans and Tigirinyas. They’d laugh

 

[Zak12]

All the various post WW2 regimes Ethiopia had were autocratic messes, more concerned with maintaining their power than actually developing the nation. This in spite of the fact that Ethiopia was being given heavy support from the west in the form of billions in aid. Its really telling how bad things were that Ethiopians were willing to overthrow their 700+ year old ruling dynasty so they can finally attempt some form of modernization and economic reforms that Haile Selassie largely neglected. But that ended up largely being a pipe dream seeing how badly the Derg messed things up and so the post Cold War governments of Zenawi and Abiy tried to pick up the pieces with mixed results.

But really I think the heart of the problem really come down to a lack of cohesive identity and unity among Ethiopians. There are two types of Ethiopian identities: you have the original "real" one that has its roots within the Christian Habesha highlands, and you have the modern Ethiopian identity which consists of a vague pastiche of ethnicities that share little in common with each other. The former identity historically was the main driver of Ethiopia and consisted of ethnicities (Amhara, Tigrayan, Gurage ect) that largely shared similar cultures, politics, and geography while the former identity consist of newly conquered groups. Now large diverse countries can be functional as seen with Indonesia but Ethiopia historically had a heavy handed approach when it came to managing its diverse population. Key examples being the forced Amharaization under Haile Selassie, to its violent suppression of separatism to its implementation of ethnic federalism.

 

[Midas]

All the various post WW2 regimes Ethiopia had were autocratic messes, more concerned with maintaining their power than actually developing the nation. This in spite of the fact that Ethiopia was being given heavy support from the west in the form of billions in aid. Its really telling how bad things were that Ethiopians were willing to overthrow their 700+ year old ruling dynasty so they can finally attempt some form of modernization and economic reforms that Haile Selassie largely neglected. But that ended up largely being a pipe dream seeing how badly the Derg messed things up and so the post Cold War governments of Zenawi and Abiy tried to pick up the pieces with mixed results.

But really I think the heart of the problem really come down to a lack of cohesive identity and unity among Ethiopians. There are two types of Ethiopian identities: you have the original "real" one that has its roots within the Christian Habesha highlands, and you have the modern Ethiopian identity which consists of a vague pastiche of ethnicities that share little in common with each other. The former identity historically was the main driver of Ethiopia and consisted of ethnicities (Amhara, Tigrayan, Gurage ect) that largely shared similar cultures, politics, and geography while the former identity consist of newly conquered groups. Now large diverse countries can be functional as seen with Indonesia but Ethiopia historically had a heavy handed approach when it came to managing its diverse population. Key examples being the forced Amharaization under Haile Selassie, to its violent suppression of separatism to its implementation of ethnic federalism.

I'd say this is mostly right but what your missing is the actual reason why Ethiopia isn't more developed.
Ethiopia at the beginning of the 1800s was an essentially feudal state. They were at a comparable level of development to 10th century Europe. There was no large towns or any cities with the exception of gondar the capital. Which meant there was no urban class. All writing was produced by the church and a few of them served as scribes for the nobility. You cant really introduce any new technology or knowledge or skills if there aren't any towns for you to develop or class of urban people to use these new technologies and knowledge.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that while the rest of subsharan africa might have been 2 thosuand years behind Europe. Ethiopia was with the exception of firearms 1000 years behind.