All land in Ethiopia belongs to the state, giving the government unusual leverage in its dealings with local communities
Nov 5, 2013, India (The Hindu) — A violent attack on a tea plantation
leased by Indian-owned Verdanta Harvest Plc, a subsidiary of the
Noida-based Lucky Group, has renewed concerns over Ethiopia’s policy of
leasing out large tracts of land to international investors.
On October 20, unidentified individuals destroyed buildings and
machinery worth approximately $140,000, according to Verdanta officials.
Media reported that locals set the plantation on fire “on account of
destroying the rich forest resources”, a claim denied by the company.
Community leaders in Gambella did not comment on the attack, but
rights groups have warned that a policy of leasing out 42 per cent of
Gambella’s land and resettling over 30,000 agro-pastoral communities is
the likely cause of the unrest.
In 2011, for instance, armed gunmen killed five workers on a farm developed by a Saudi Arabian company.
All land in Ethiopia belongs to the state, giving the government unusual leverage in its dealings with local communities.
Rights groups like the Oakland Institute claim Indian companies have
acquired 6,28,000 hectares of agricultural land under a government
programme to lease 3.6 million hectares for export-oriented agriculture.
Disagreements
More than half the land deals, worth an estimated 3,65,000 hectares,
have since fallen through due to disagreements among investors,
communities and the various levels of government.
Verdanta said its land was acquired by the government in the 1980s.
The attack comes after nearly three years of discord with local
officials and some sections of the community.
In 2010, Verdanta signed an agreement for 3,012 hectares in the hope
of harvesting 500 hectares of tea by 2015. Thus far only 169 hectares
have been cleared and 70 hectares planted.
“We met the local officials and found their expectations were a
little too high. So we asked for another piece of land,” said Manojeet
Barkataky, General Manager for Verdanta Harvests, explaining the
community had demanded roads, electrification, schools and a hospital
before the company began its project. “We said we will implement our CSR
[corporate social responsibility] once the project begins.”
Nine months later, Mr. Barkataky said, the government claimed to have
consulted the local community and urged the company to start work.
In February 2011, Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis wrote to the
Ministry of Agriculture, expressing concern that Verdanta had been
allotted forestland, a claim denied by the government and the company.
When the federal government in Addis Ababa demarcated a plot for the
company, its counterparts in Gambella issued a different map, reducing
the plot by 327 hectares. An additional 80 hectares was earmarked for a
cultural site revered by the community, but the federal government
dismissed their claim. These competing claims over the size and scope of
the project exacerbated the tension in the region.
“It is a total incompetence, inefficiency, and neglect on the part of
the local government up to the federal government,” said Mr. Barkataky.
“Why couldn’t the government finalise the boundary in the last three
years?”
Displeasure
At a press conference last month, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn
indicated his displeasure with the development of the agriculture
sector. “Until now the progress is very slow,” he said. “It is not a
problem with the investors, the problem is infrastructure. Our future
plan is to engage heavily in infrastructure development.”
Verdanta has halted all work on its project until the government guarantees security for its operations.
Gabaasaa
Qeerroo yuuniversitii Amboo irraa,Sadaasa 03/2013 guyyaa barattootni
haaraan Yuuniversitii Amboo itti mooraa seenaniidha. Guyyaan kun Baga
Nagaan Dhuftan barattoota haaraadhaaf kan godhamu qofa osoo hin taanee
uummata jiraattoota Amboo fi magaalaa Gudar keessatti guyyaa itti
eenyummaa ofiillee yaadatan tahee argame. Akka madda gabaasaa kanaatti
afeerraan barattoota kanaaf godhame magaalaa Gudar Hoteela SEENAAF
jedhamu keessatti yoo tahu magaalaa kana kaasaanii barataa,hojjetaa fi
walii galatti uummata naannoo kanaa tahuudhaan dhiichisa sirba qabsoo
Oromiyaa maaltu gadhiisaa.. akkasuma Yaa ijoolle harka rukutaatii WBO
faarsinaa Ilil jedhaatii jechhuudhaan uummata kakaasuu fi jalee
wayyaanee ammo garaa gubaa turaniiru,kun guyyaa saa 7:00 irraa kaasanii
hanga halkan keessaa saa 5:00tti daandii Gudarii fi Amboo gidduu jiru
daandii konkoltaa cufuudhaan sirboota qabsoo sirbuun yaadannoo gurguddaa
uummata oromoo naannoo sanii gidduutti barattoota haarawaadhaan wal
qabsiisanii taasisanii jiru. Akka gabaasaan kun addeesuutti sirba qabsoo
sirbame irratti uummanni jiru hunduu osoo amantaadhaan hin qoodamiin
ittti hirmaachuudhaan dina ilmaan oromoo hinaafsisaa turaniiru. Dhuma
irrattis dhaadannolleen adda addaa barattootaan magaalaa Amboo keessa
ergaa seenanii dhageessifamaa tureera. Dhaadannowwan gaggabaaboo
gabaasaa waliin nu gahan keessaa:
November
2, 2013 (Ogaden today Press)- Sources close to the Ogaden regional
administration confirmed to Ogaden today Press that ONLF captured the
village of Bantureed near the city of Godey in the Beercaano district.