by Keffyalew Gebremedhin
The question of land grab in Ethiopia
and indeed in other developing countries would remain a topic of national and
international conversations. The Ethiopian government is fully aware of this
and has been fighting to influence its direction, although unsuccessfully to
date.
What it is doing is to deny traction to the criticisms
against its policy of doling out Ethiopian lands to foreign investors. What it
should have done, which is right and proper is to begin to see reason by all
sides in their proper light, especially the concerns of Ethiopian citizens. It
has miserably failed to engage and convince citizens about the present and
long-term implications of farmland grabbing.
To date, we know that 3.6 million hectares have been put on
offer in exchange for chicken feed to international investors. Seventy percent
of foreign investors in agricultural lands in Ethiopia
today are Indians, some of them such as Karuturi, who have shifted gears to
tendering Ethiopian lands piece by piece to Indians, specifically from the
southern part of that country.
The indication is that this would give rise to serious
indignation by citizens at home and abroad. What drives the government into
this straightjacket is the hunger for power, not the national interests of Ethiopia.
This has been ably dealt with by Ethiopia's foremost economists and
specialist in land tenure.
complete article...Addis Voice
complete article...Addis Voice
