Nationalism, Law and Statelessness: Grand Illusions in the Horn of Africa

During the 1998-2000 war between Ethiopia and Eritrea the two countries expelled 150,000 'aliens' whose plight provides the means to assess the enduring power of two modern illusions: the myth that ethno-nationalism provides a secure basis to define an individual's entitlement to citizenship and the myth that 'law' protects citizens against the state. Within the broader geopolitical context, the book examines the situation of ethnic Eritreans in Ethiopia following the outbreak of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1998 and the evolving situation of 200,000 Eritreans who remained in Ethiopia (but whose citizenship was stripped from them) and 70,000 individuals who were expelled. The book provides a unique in-depth, long-term case study of the vulnerability of stateless persons in their country of origin and in the West. It explores international refugee law and its failure to address the rights of stateless persons, and the power of nation-states and their ability to strip individuals of their nationality (and most socio-political basic rights) and enunciate new 'norms of citizenship' which exclude certain categories of persons from the right of citizenship. John Campbell analyses the enduring power of nation-states to redraw key boundaries, their ability to use law to place individuals in- or out-side society, and their power to define on what basis an individual is recognized as a citizen and thus can access the law to secure one's basic rights. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers in anthropology, law, politics, African studies and refugee studies as well as professionals and all those interested in stateless persons in the West, including Eritreans, who continue to be denied basic rights.