Your Land is My Land: Relocating 1.5 Million in Ethiopia
* by Ellyn Schwaiger <
http://www.care2.com/causes/author/ellyns>
* March 2, 2012
By Nickolas Johnson, The Oakland Institute
More than 1.5 million residents of
<
http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-ally-ethiopia-is-one-of-the-worst-human-rig
hts-abusers.html> Ethiopia have begun or will begin relocating away from
their ancestral lands in a program called villagization. Ethiopia has a long
and controversial history with resettlement, as it was a major element of
the Derg's socialist agricultural policies. By 1989,
<
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/ethiopia0112webwcover_0.pdf>
Derg's villagization program had resettled more than 13 million people;
international disapproval, degrading security and dwindling of resources
caused the program to slow down.
Today, the government has resumed the program, stating that it is voluntary
and justifying it by claiming that it's necessary to centralize
infrastructure by having the villages close to roads and available water
supplies. Though this sounds like a valiant attempt to supply access to
services quickly, research and testimonies from locals say otherwise.
One-way deal
<
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/ethiopia0112webwcover_0.pdf>
The Oakland Institute's field research shows that a vast majority of people
in the targeted regions do not want to relocate, but have been threatened by
local police. As reported by a
<
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/ethiopia0112webwcover_0.pdf>
recent Human Rights Watch report, the forced relocation of residents of
Gambella has caused great hardship to tens of thousands - including rape,
other violent acts, coercion and intimidation. Furthermore, there is a
disturbing parallel between land being vacated and the land being sold to
investors for large-scale commercial agriculture.
Despite the government's claims that this is purely coincidental,
<
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-12/karuturi-global-eyes-east-african-
markets-for-crops-grown-on-ethiopia-land.html> Karuturi, one of the largest
foreign landholders in Ethiopia, has stated publicly that the Gambella
Regional government offered to move the village of Ilea for them. Luckily,
Karuturi chose not to pursue this venture. However, another company, Saudi
Star, is now clearing forests that had been used by former residents who
were forced to relocate to Pokedi as part of the villagization program.
Loss of livelihoods
Presently, villagers grow their own food on permanent plots along the river
and use shifting cultivation techniques on higher ground to grow maize. This
shifting cultivation, together with fishing and harvesting of forest
resources, provides buffers against food insecurity.
In Gambella and Benishangul, the villagization concept involves giving each
household a small permanent plot of land of
<
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-12/karuturi-global-eyes-east-african-
markets-for-crops-grown-on-ethiopia-land.html> 2-4 hectares adjacent to the
village site. However, this will require new forms of cultivation and
farming techniques and technologies that are unfamiliar to the people.
Training has been promised by regional governments, but the government's
failure to live up to their promises leaves the villagers skeptical.
While these households were once largely food self-sufficient, they will now
have to rely on food aid, as promised by some officials. With the relocation
to smaller permanent plots, their only buffer against food insecurity will
thus become government handouts, to be funded by international donors. The
loss of traditional lands will result in the loss of livelihoods, changes in
diet, increased reliance on wage employment, and aid while weakening
community bonds. This process will also result in the destruction of natural
resources such as forests and grazing land. These adverse impacts of
large-scale land investment on the lives of local people will be dramatic,
long term, and potentially irreversible.
The time for action is now
By continuing to provide huge amounts of aid to Ethiopia, the U.S. is
supporting a repressive regime that puts large-scale agricultural investment
and for-profit access to Ethiopia's fertile lands over the well-being and
land rights of indigenous and local people.
USAID should not support such endeavors and ask for due diligence in respect
to the human rights of the people of Gambella and other affected
communities.
<
http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/land-deals-africa-ethiopia> Looking at the
facts regarding the kind of investments occurring in Ethiopia , it's clear
that action is needed to ensure U.S. assistance actually benefits local
communities and not just the interests of a minority.
Please join the fight and
<
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stop-forced-relocations-ethiopia/> sign
the petition against forced relocations in Ethiopia.
Read more about the
<
http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-ally-ethiopia-is-one-of-the-worst-human-rig
hts-abusers.html> worsening human rights situation in Ethiopia.
Related Stories:
<
http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-ally-ethiopia-is-one-of-the-worst-human-rig
hts-abusers.html> US Ally Ethiopia is One of the Worst Human Rights Abusers
<
http://www.care2.com/causes/building-a-better-future-in-ethiopia-one-commun
ity-at-a-time.html> Building a Better Future in Ethiopia, One Community At A
Time
<
http://www.care2.com/causes/returned-congolese-refugees-face-torture-abuse.
html> Returned Congolese Refugees Face Torture, Abuse
Read more:
<
http://www.care2.com/causes/your-land-is-my-land-relocating-1-5-million-in-
ethiopia.html#ixzz1nyUw0vVN>
http://www.care2.com/causes/your-land-is-my-land-relocating-1-5-million-in-e
thiopia.html#ixzz1nyUw0vVN
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Received on Fri Mar 02 2012 - 11:39:27 EST
