Transfer of Land Rights in Ethiopia

Land rights in general and transferability of land rights in particular have been a mind boggling subject for intellectuals, donors, and politicians in Ethiopia. The question of land and the rights attached to it has been a cause for political turbulence and instability in the nation as well. It is important to study the challenges of land policies pursued by successive regimes and the historical evolutionary course leading to the current land policy. The deadlocks on land policy issues in Ethiopia might superficially seem to hinge on preferences of which land governance system or legal regime must the nation adopt or adapt. However, land issues in Ethiopia are more than economic factors or principles of efficiency and preference of ownership systems.

This book explores the limitations of the current land system in Ethiopia, by assessing and analyzing the laws and policies pertaining to land and transferability of rights over land. This includes an evaluation of existing legislation against the background of the history of land use in Ethiopia and ensuing political struggles.