Beyond Capital and Commodity: Exploring the Notion of Land among Indigenous Farmers and Land-related Conflicts in Addis Ababa Peri-urban Areas

Abstract

One of the primary challenges in addressing land-related conflicts is the divergent notions of land held by various actors. In the modern urban context, land is valued as a crucial economic resource, serving as capital to invest in or as a commodity to buy and sell for profit. Most existing studies and discussions on land also view it as a resource for the economy, overlooking its social, cultural, political, and religious values. This paper explores the notions of land among Indigenous farmers in Addis Ababa peri-urban areas (AAPUA) and their implications for land-related conflicts. The study employed a qualitative approach and used key informant interviews and focus group discussions to generate data from the participants. The findings show that for the indigenous farmers in AAPUA, land is categorized into five types based on the notions and values attached to it as “qe’ee” (homestead), “maasaa” (farming land), “tifkata” (grazing land), “abdaari” (sacred land), and “bakka-awwala” (graveyards). As part of the larger Oromo culture, land is considerably more than just an asset, source of income, and commodities for the indigenous farmers in the study areas rather they have profound ties to their lands as sites of social, cultural, and religious significance; they also serve as repositories for ancestral spirits, sites for sacred rituals, and historical landmarks that bind an individual to a specific location. Land is a status symbol that goes much beyond its economic value for farmers. In the study area and beyond, the land is an instrument of political power and control for the government, while it’s just capital and commodity for private business. Thus, the divergent notions of land amongst the key actors have caused and perpetuated land-related conflicts in the study area.  The paper recommends that the appeal to end land grabbing and the displacement of farmers in AAPUA should go beyond ensuring the evicted farmers receive financial compensation. The government must enact a law that protects the indigenous farmers’ rights while appropriating land for development projects and urbanization.