Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses how ethnic contestations and urban political arrangements dynamically influence each other by taking Dire Dawa city of Ethiopia as a showcase. To this end, we look into the local, national and regional significance of this peripheral secondary city.

Paper long abstract:

Secondary cities exhibit an urbanity that diverges (politically, economically, and socially) from the capital cities. To this end, they require and (are the result of) distinct forms of governance. One such example is Dire Dawa, a secondary peripheral/border city 515 km away from the capital of Ethiopia. The city is located on the Ethio-Djibouti main road between Oromia and Somali regional states. By examining the political trajectory of this city, this article shows how ethnic contestations (claims of ownership between the Oromo and Somali ethnic groups), questions of autochthony, and fluidity/instrumentality of identities shape (and are shaped by) the current urban political arrangements. This is manifested through the material cityscape as a means of demonstrating and consolidating power. Moreover, this research looks into the political importance of secondary cities by placing Dire Dawa in the larger context of historical political dynamics in the horn of Africa. In general, an attempt will be made to unravel the multi-layered contestations/conflicts around control over secondary cities and their local, national, and regional political significance by taking Dire Dawa as a showcase.