HRF To Lodge Lawsuit Against Gov’t Over Alleged Rights Violations

‎A domestic human rights organization in Ethiopia is preparing to take legal action against the federal government for its alleged failures in facilitating the return of millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes, citing violations of both domestic and international legal obligations.

‎Tesfalem Berhe, director of Human Rights First Ethiopia, stated that the organization was finalizing preparations to bring the matter before the courts after what he described as years of government inaction that led to millions being displaced across the Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia regions.

‎“We are considering taking the matter to court,” Tesfalem told The Reporter. “Whether the government can be compelled by a court ruling to return displaced persons to their homes is something that remains to be seen. But we believe the legal path is now necessary.”

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) Estimated there were 4.5 million idps in Ethiopia in June 2024, with over a million displaced in each tigray, Somali, and Oromia, and a furher 400,000 in amhara.

The UN agency noted that an estimated 3.3 million IDPs returned to their places of origin between January 2022 and June 2024.

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However, aid cuts, funding droughts, and conflict threaten to make life even worse for the millions still languishing in camps.

Tesfalem argues the lack of a swift, comprehensive, federal government-led response amounts to a growing human rights crisis.

‎ “The government’s failure to respond to these issues is seriously worsening the human rights crisis,” he said. “Displaced people from Tigray have lived in dire conditions for three to four years. These people are suffering greatly”.

‎Recent reports by international organizations corroborate the director’s claim.

‎The UNFPA’s November 2024 Humanitarian Situation Report indicates that Ethiopia’s humanitarian situation remains dire, with climate-induced disasters and ongoing conflict displacing civilians and disrupting critical humanitarian operations.

‎According to the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, an estimated 15.5 million people, among them 4.5 million internally displaced individuals—are in urgent need of assistance across multiple regions of the country.

‎An International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey conducted in March 2024 revealed that 93.3 percent of IDP households in Tigray had not received any support related to income-generating activities or livelihood projects, while 92 percent of respondents reported food as their most pressing need.

‎Tesfalem asserts that the right of IDPs to voluntarily return to their homes is not only a humanitarian issue but a legal obligation enshrined in both domestic and international law.

The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), which Ethiopia ratified in 2012, says states are obligated to “take necessary measures to ensure that internally displaced persons are provided with adequate conditions for voluntary return, local integration or relocation, and shall make efforts to ensure the safety, dignity and sustainability of such returns or resettlement”.

Tesfalem believes there is a lack of political will to facilitate the return of IDPs.

A November 2024 report from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) indicated that upwards of 56 percent of IDPs had been displaced for a year, while 11 percent had been unable to return to their homes for five years or longer.

“The government has a duty under the Kampala Convention to ensure IDPs can return voluntarily, in dignity and safety. We don’t see political will, especially in the case of Tigray,” he told The Reporter.

‎Human Rights First Ethiopia is also invoking the Ethiopian Constitution, which guarantees citizens “the right to liberty of movement and the freedom to choose their residence within Ethiopia.”

‎Tesfalem sees the prolonged displacement of civilians as a direct violation of this right.

‎“This isn’t just a moral failure. It’s a constitutional violation,” he said. “The displaced have the right to return. It’s not optional for the government—it’s an obligation.”

‎Tesfalem told The Reporter that unless urgent action is taken, Human Rights First will file a lawsuit based on both international and domestic legal grounds.