THE PROTECTION OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN ETHIOPIA: ASSESSING THE LAWS AND PRACTICES IN THE NORTHERN GONDAR ZONE

Abstract

Internal displacement of persons is the forced internal movement of people and it is a major problem for the international community in the present world. The problem is more severe in Africa and Ethiopia is also prone to this case. In Ethiopia, people are forcefully displaced from their habitual residence due to various causes. Displacement might have different causes and the research tried to examine the adequacy of legal and institutional frameworks to govern IDPs. Globally, there is no binding legal document on IDPs though there exists a guiding principle that is purely a soft law. However, Africa has enacted a binding convention that protects and assists the IDPs. In this thesis, I have tried to examine the relevancy of KC for IDPs and the lacunas on it. In particular, the thesis tried to investigate the institutions empowered to implement the convention. Internal displacement of persons is a serious problem in Ethiopia and it becomes exacerbating recently. Nowadays, there are beyond 136124 IDPs in North Gondar Zone Kulich Meda IDPs Camp. States have several obligations with regard to the protection of IDPs. At the same time, IDPs have various rights incorporated under the international human rights instruments, the UNGPs, and KC. The author tried to examine the Ethiopian laws, policies, and strategies on IDPs. Ethiopia signed and ratified the KC but reserved various provisions and the thesis tries to analyze the effects of such reservations on human rights protection. Moreover, there are displaced persons in various parts of Ethiopia and the thesis attempts to examine how the government protects and assists IDPs specifically who are living in North Gondar Zone, Debark town Kulich Meda IDPs Camp.