Kassahun Berhanu

Kassahun Berhanu is an associate professor in Political Science at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He has researched and published on issues mainly relating to democracy, civil society, decentralization and governance in Ethiopia, as well as conflicts, elections and constitution making in Africa.

During his stay as a visting fellow at the African Studies Centre (ASC) between April and June 2009, Kassahun will join the SMPC Theme Group and undertakes a study on "Conflicts and Prospects for Peace in the Horn of Africa".

Main Publications

"Decentralization and Democratization in Ethiopia", Regional Development Dialogue
29(2): 18-31 (2008).
"Constitutional Engineering and Elections as Sources of Legitimacy in Post-Cold War
Africa", in Okola-Onyango and S. Nansozi (eds.), Debating the Form and
Substance of African Governance Systems, Fountain Printers, Kampala (2007).
"Growth, Civil Conflicts and Oil Prospects in the Border Regions of Ethiopia" in
Wohlmuth, K. and Tino Urban (eds.), Reconstructing Economic Governance
After Conflict in Resource-Rich African Countries, LIT VERLAG, Berlin (2007).
"Parliament and Dominant Party System in Ethiopia" in Salih, M.A (ed.), African
Legislatures: Between Governance and Government, Palgrave Macmillan,
London (2005).
Returnees, Resettlement and Power Relations: The Making of a Political Constituency in
Humera, Ethiopia, VU Press, Amsterdam (2000).