4 October 2016
Lessons in landreform in Africa
By: Karsten Riise
Western media have (as usual) ignored a major tragedy in Africa. In Ethiopia up to 500 people have been killed in clashes.
Tribal power-politics may be behind the Ethiopian clashes - but one of the issues used in the power-politics of the clashes is about land-use, the expanding of the capital to use adjacent agricultural land for development purposes.
The conversion of agricultural land into (a more value-creating) commercial use is necessary for development - and this is also what we have discussed as a need for Côte d'Ivoire. Development always creates tensions in society, because development threatens traditional life-forms and changes the structure of society, including the power-structures. Those, who fear to lose power because of development can become angry, even if society as a whole becomes wealthier. Also, sometimes some people are robbed of their land without compensation.
So we should learn from other countries like Ethiopia, or even China, to manage the risk of tensions due to development.
I have studied a few things about Ethiopia, but though I am not a specialist in Ethiopia, I know that successful economic development is happening in Ethiopia, and that fast growth has been going on in Ethiopia now for around 20 years. Also, from what I know, most economic development in Ethiopia is centered on its main city, Addis Ababa. I have not heard that Ethiopia has other very big growth centers than Addis Ababa.
From the article attached below, it seems like Ethiopia's riots are caused now in the wake of ever-expanding its main city Addis Ababa into an unwieldy mega-city. We must think smarter.
What I have proposed is to create a new center of development, in a low-population area, along the highway, some distance outside Abidjan. My concept is a much more flexible solution. It will give ability to adjust the exact location - if one local community is less happy about our idea, we may negotiate peacefully with another community. We will learn all the time. When we have success in one place, we may later go back to a more reluctant first local community, and show them how they can benefit too.
Karsten Riise
Partner & Editor
CHANGE NEWS &
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
