Abstract:
IDPs are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their
homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects
of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or
human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.
This situation inevitably results in human rights concerns of victims. Then it poses the question
of government obligations towards the victims. For that this research aimed to make an inquiry
into the human rights obligations of Ethiopia towards IDPs then to investigate whether
government of Ethiopia has carried out obligations imposed on it by relevant international,
regional and national laws or not. The obligations of government Ethiopia towards IDPs has
been analyzed by focusing on legislative and institutional measures at national plane. The
qualitative research approach used to write this research. A desk review of primary documents
and secondary sources was made; interview with key informants from focal point institutions in
relation to IDPs was employed to collect data. The research has revealed that although FDRE
Constitution and other legislations embrace some relevant provisions of general application for
protection the rights of IDP, however the country lacks comprehensive and adequate laws and
policies for addressing the plight of IDPs. On top of lacking compressive law, legislations which
are of especial importance towards the protection of IDPs do not cover all causes of
displacement or are cause specific. Additionally, policy framework relevant for protection of
IDPs confined to life saving measures though bringing development oriented and durable
solution is necessary. Besides the limitations in national laws there is also ratification gap,
because Ethiopia has not ratified Kampala convention, the first binding specific framework for
protection and assistance of IDPs. Regarding institutional focal points, they are not effectively
functioning towards protection because of institutional arrangement problem, security issue as
well as resource deficiency. To solve the above problems hindering government of Ethiopia to
fully address the plight of IDPs and to fulfill its human rights obligations towards them, the
research recommends the government to enact comprehensive legal and policy instrument. The
study urges the government to look into institutional focal points and then uproot hindrances
impeding well functioning of them.
