By Bamlak Desalegn Birku,
Ethiopia’s persistent internal displacement crisis underscores deep-seated governance failures, conflict-driven instability, and environmental vulnerability. While the country played a pivotal role in the adoption of the Kampala Convention, hosting the African Union (AU) headquarters and ratified the Kampala Convention on February 13, 2020, through Proclamation No. 1187/2020, becoming the 31st AU member to do so. This ratification was officially published in the Federal Negarit Gazette, integrating the Convention into national law, and yet its implementation remains alarmingly inadequate. The scale of displacement continues to rise, with Ethiopia consistently recording some of the highest IDP figures in Africa. This analysis critically examines the country’s compliance with the Kampala Convention, focusing on Ethiopia’s IDP crisis, its commitments and failures under the Convention, and the broader implications of its ineffective response.
Ethiopia’s Escalating IDP Crisis
Ethiopia’s displacement crisis is one of the most severe in the world, driven by conflict, ethnic violence, and climate shocks. Over the past decade, internal conflicts, particularly in Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Benishangul Gumz and Gambella regions have led to millions of forced displacements. For instance, the Oromia-Somali border conflict in 2018 displaced 1.2 million people, while the conflict and violence (2020-2022); resulted in over 5.1 million internal displacements-the highest recorded for any country in a single year.
Figure 1. The trends and nature of Internal Displacement in Ethiopia (Adopted from IDMC, 2024)
As of late 2024, 3.3 million people remain displaced, with 68.7% of these due to conflict. Climate-related displacement is also increasing, with disasters such as the 2023 Goffa Zone landslide (32,000 displaced) and Fentale volcanic activity (85,000 displaced in 2024-2025) exacerbating the crisis. Despite government claims of response efforts, most IDPs remain trapped in limbo, with limited reintegration and return options, exposing Ethiopia’s failure to uphold its commitments.
Ethiopia and the Kampala Convention: Commitments Vs. Reality
Although Ethiopia ratified the Kampala Convention in 2020, its actual implementation remains weak, violating several key provisions:
- Failure to Prevent Arbitrary Displacement (Article 2): The displacement crisis in Ethiopia, with over 66% of cases driven by conflict, exposes a significant failure in addressing the root causes of displacement in Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray security concern conditions leading to displacement. Despite Ethiopia’s ratification of the Kampala Convention, the government has persistently neglected its obligations under Article 2 (a-e), which mandates the prevention of violence, protection from arbitrary displacement, and the assurance of durable solutions. Rather than upholding these responsibilities, the government has been complicit in mass evictions and the escalation of conflicts, particularly in Amhara and Oromia, and recently the Tigray tensions of the interim government stop functioning; exacerbating the suffering of displaced populations. This failure is not an inadvertent lapse, but a deliberate disregard for the protections guaranteed under the Convention. The resulting instability and political exploitation of vulnerable communities require urgent accountability to ensure that Ethiopia aligns its practices with its treaty obligations and protects its citizens from further harm.
- Development-Induced Displacement (Article 10): The government’s handling of urban expansion projects has also contributed to forced displacements. Aggressive urbanization in Addis Ababa has led to forced evictions without proper consultation or compensation, violating Article 10, which mandates prevention and mitigation of displacement caused by development projects. Reports and studies indicate that the scale of displacement in Addis Ababa, driven by large-scale urban development projects, has been significant, with thousands of residents forcibly evicted between 2020 and 2023, often without adequate compensation or alternative housing, exacerbating the city’s displacement crisis.
- Inadequate Humanitarian Response (Article 6):
IDPs continue to face severe humanitarian conditions, with poor access to food, shelter, water, and healthcare. Ethiopia’s response to internally displaced persons (IDPs) blatantly violates its obligations under Articles 5(4) and 6 of the Kampala Convention, which require providing essential humanitarian assistance such as food, water, shelter, and medical care. IDPs in conflict-affected regions like Amhara and Oromia suffer from severe gaps in basic services due to poor coordination and inadequate resource distribution. This failure exacerbates their suffering and highlights the government’s non-compliance with international responsibilities. For instance the recent controversies and political hotspot of the Goffa landslide crisis (2024); further exemplifies the government’s neglect, with mismanagement of disaster relief funds leading to delays and insufficient aid, violating Article 6(2) of the Convention, which calls for timely assistance.
Additionally, as mandated by Article 4(2), Ethiopia’s failure to implement early warning systems and disaster risk reduction strategies directly contributed to the displacement and loss of life. These events expose the government’s systemic failure to protect its citizens and provide essential support in times of crisis are a direct result of such negligence, as inadequate preparedness and prevention measures failed to protect lives and prevent displacement.
- Lack of Durable Solutions (Article 11): Ethiopia’s return and reintegration policies are inconsistent, with many IDPs forced to return to unsafe regions. According to IOM DTM data, Ethiopia has recorded 2.58 million IDP returns, with Amhara (36.8%) and Tigray (37.5%) regions constituting the majority. However, humanitarian groups and displaced communities contest these figures, arguing that many returns were coerced or unsafe due to ongoing conflict, livelihood distraction, and lack of guarantees for sustainable reintegration;. Thus, such ongoing failure to provide sustainable solutions for the return, local integration, or relocation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is a direct violation of Article 11 (1) of the Kampala Convention, which obligates states to ensure that IDPs are able to safely return, integrate locally, or be relocated in a manner that ensures their dignity, security, and long-term well-being.
Additionally, no structured national policy exists for local integration and relocation of these peoples, leaving millions stranded in displacement camps for years. Among these, approximately 56% had been displaced for more than one year, 23% for two to four years, and 11% for five or more years. This indicates that about 34% of IDPs in Ethiopia were in protracted displacement situations, having been displaced for two years or more ; which mandates states to implement durable solutions for IDPs, leaving millions stranded in prolonged displacement without access to safe and dignified resettlement or integration opportunities.
- Weak Legal and Institutional Frameworks: The lack of protection for IDPs and the failure to hold perpetrators accountable undermine their right to safety and justice. This violates Article 9 of the Kampala Convention, which mandates states to protect and assist IDPs without discrimination. Additionally, Article 7 (1 & 4) affirms that armed groups must not be legitimized, and their members remain criminally liable under national and international law. The absence of legal action against those responsible for displacement fosters impunity and deepens the crisis. Despite ratifying the Convention, Ethiopia has not enacted a national IDP law, violating Article 3(2a), which mandates domestic incorporation of Convention obligations.
Though this review understands the government’s effort to develop the “National Strategy to Implement Solutions Pathways to Internal Displacement” is acknowledged, its failure to approve and ratify the strategy by 2024. Besides, the introduction of a new tax on all workers to compensate for the USAID funding pause, while still not legalized all these two, is both a delayed and inadequate response. This reflects a lack of genuine commitment to addressing Ethiopia’s protracted displacement crisis and the compliances of the Kampala conventions. And yet, without formal approval and legal backing, these measures remain symbolic rather than transformative, failing to provide sustainable solutions for millions of IDPs trapped in prolonged displacement. The Disaster Risk Management Commission (DRMC) is underfunded and lacks clear coordination mechanisms, leading to fragmented and inefficient responses.
Despite ratifying the Kampala Convention, the Ethiopian government has failed to prevent the politicization of displacement, allowing vulnerable communities to be used as political tools, mostly this is the grim reality of peoples displaced from Oromia. This is not merely a humanitarian crisis but a deliberate act of destabilization that erodes trust and fuels division. While the government may not directly benefit, powerful groups and political elites exploit displacement for their own gain, disregarding the immense human suffering-lives lost, livelihoods destroyed, and entire communities reduced to aid dependence. And yet, under Article 4(1) of the Kampala Convention, Ethiopia has a legal obligation to prevent arbitrary displacement and protect its people. Its failure to act reveals a deep moral and political crisis where suffering is ignored, and justice is denied. Those responsible for uprooting innocent people must be named, condemned, and held accountable
Conclusions and Implications
While the Ethiopian government’s ratification of the Kampala Convention and the African Union’s adoption of the framework were commendable, the internal displacement crisis in Africa has worsened significantly over the past fifteen years. This is because, Africa is home to approximately 35 million IDPs, accounting for nearly half of the global IDP population, with Ethiopia contributing significantly to this figure. With IDP numbers tripling and over 80% of displacements driven by conflict concentrated in just five countries, DRC, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan and Ethiopia, the Convention’s failure is evident. Despite the Convention’s obligations to address root causes and ensure humanitarian access, Ethiopia has not only neglected these duties but has exacerbated displacement through state-backed evictions, aid restrictions, and violence, particularly in Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray.
The African Union’s failure to enforce compliance is equally concerning; the persistent rise in displacement numbers indicates shortcomings in the AU’s enforcement and coordination mechanisms. The absence of enforceable mechanisms, such as independent monitoring, has reduced the Kampala Convention to a symbolic gesture. While the AU has raised awareness, its reliance on voluntary adherence has allowed violations, including weaponized displacement and used these peoples as a political tool, to persist unchecked.
This crisis demands urgent intervention. Ethiopia must enact laws aligned with the Convention, ensuring transparency and accountability, while the AU must reform the framework to include penalties for non-compliance. Without these steps, the promises of the Kampala Convention will remain unfulfilled, and millions will remain trapped in prolonged displacement. The critical question remains: Is Ethiopia’s failure due to deliberate neglect, or is it a result of the AU’s weak enforcement mechanisms?
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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