The Emperor, the Lion and the Peacock: Monuments and Contested State Mythology in Contemporary Ethiopia

Keywords: Monuments, nation-state, mythology, ethno-politics, politics of history, sovereignity, authoritarianism
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 63

Abstract

As a first project launched after his nomination as Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister in 2018, Abiy Ahmed renovated the Imperial Place in Ethiopia’s political center, Addis Ababa. Widely interpreted as a sign for the end of authoritarian rule and political tensions in the country, renovation work turned the Palace into a heritage site of significance for nation-state building. In this paper, we scrutinize monumentalization within the renovated Palace as an assemblage of human and non-human figures. In the center of our analysis are the statues of two emperors, lions and peacocks, which we interpret in the context of Ethiopia’s political history of authoritarian rule, the politics of history and ongoing ethno-nationalist contestations. On that basis, we demonstrate the strategic significance of these mythical figures for Abiy Ahmed in his attempt to substantiate his sovereign claim in the context of his regime’s sever legitimacy crisis. Our analysis reveals the Palace as a site of cultural and political significance that has formed in the broader context of ongoing ethno-nationalist struggles about nation-state authority, representation, legitimacy and history. It contributes to an inherently political understanding of monumental developments and its significance for authoritarian rule in Africa and beyond.