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Proclamation No. 89/1997

Federal Rural Land Administration
Proclamation

PROCLAMATION
NO. 89/1997
RURAL LAND ADMINISTRATION
PROCLAMATION
OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OF ETIDOPIA
WHEREAS, as a result of the bitter struggle waged
by the Nations, Nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia, it is
confirmed in the Constitution of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia that the right to ownership of land is
exculsively vested in the State and in the People;
WHEREAS,
Article 52(2)(d) of the Constitution
provides that Regional Governments are empowered to
administer land and other natural resources in accordance
with Federal laws;
WHEREAS, the implementation
of said provision
calls for the promulgation of a rural land administration law
that is of a general scope and consequent identical application to all Regions;
NOW, THEREFORE, in accordance with Article 55
(I) of the Constitution, it is hereby proclaimed as follows.

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1. Short Title
This Proclamation may be cited as the "Federal Rural
Land Administration Proclamation NO. 89/1997."
2. Definitions
Unless the context otherwise requires, in this
Proclamation:
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Page 628

PART ONE
General

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ADDIS ABABA - 7th July 1997

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629

1)

"Region" means a Region specified; under Article 47 of the Constitution, as a member of the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and
includes the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa Administrations;
2) "rural land" means all land outside the boundaries of a municipality or outside an area which
the respective Regional Council, in consultation
with the appropriate body, designates as a town;
3) "holding right" means the right any peasant shall
have to use rural land for agricultural purposes as
well as to le.ase and, while the right remains in
effect, bequeath it to his family member; and
includes the right to acquire property thereon, by
his labour or capital, and to sell, exchange and
bequeath same;
4) "distribution of holdings" means' a rural land
allocation measure taken at intervals, upon decision of the community, with a view to assigning
holding rights in a fair and proportionate manner
as well as to demarcating land for communal use
by peasants;
5) "family member" means anyone permanently
living with a person having holding rights, by way
of sharing the means of livelihood of the latter;
6) "land administration" means the a~signment of
holding rights and the execution of distribution of
holdings.
3. General Reference
The provisions of this Proclamation set out in the
masculine gender shall also apply to the feminine
gender.
PART TWO
General Provisions on Land
Administration

4. Principle
Land is a common property of the Nations,
Nationalities and Peoples of Ethiopia shall not be
subject to sale or to other means of exchange.
5. Conditions of Land Administration
I) Any Region shall administer rural land in accordance with the general provisions of this
Proclamation.
2) For purposes of implementation of the provisions
of sub-Article (1) of this Article, each Regional
Council shall enact a law on land administration.
3) The land administration law of a Region shall be in
conformity with the provisions oflaws on environmental protection and shall observe the Federal
land utilization policies.
4) The land administration law of a Region shall
confirm the equal rights of women in respect of the'
use, administration and control ofland as well as in
respect of transferring and bequeathing holding
rights.
6 Contents of a Land Administration Law
A land administration law enacted by each Regional
Council, shall:
I) ensure free assignment of holding rights both to
peasants and nomads, without differentiation of the
sexes; as well as secure against eviction and
displacement from holdings on any grounds other
than total or partial distribution of holdings effected pursuant to decision by the Regional Council,

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No. 54 7" July, I997-Page 630

assign holding rights sufficient for subsistence,

both to peasants and nomads, subject to the
particular conditions of the locality;
allow women to use hired labour on their holdings
or to, otherwise, make agreements thereto;
permit the right referred to under sub-Article (3) of
this Article, to orphans not having attained
majority, the physically weak and to similar others;
fix criteria, such as family responsibility
and
formation of a new marriage, for qualification to a
holding right; as well as set out standards, in a
descending order of priority based on family-size
and such other objective factors of assessment of
land demand, for determination of the extent to
which holding rights would be assigned;
provide that demarcation of land for house-building, grazing, forests, social services and such
other communal use shall be carried out in accordance with the particular conditions of the locality
and through communal participation;
with respect to former holders of lawful standing
and where distribution of holdings is erfected,
allow for an opportunity to retain, to the extent the
distribution would permit, portions of the land they
have been improving upon their labour or capital;
where a holding right changes hands under distribution of holdings, ensure payment of due
compensation, by the new holder, to a previous and
lawful holder for improvements he had made on the
land by his labour or capital;
where a holding right changes hands under distribution of holdings or terminate on various
grounds, guarantee the right to remove permanent
work builts, or tree-crops cultivated, on the land or
to claim payment of compensation
thereon or
collection of the fruits thereof;
lay down a system based upon transparency,
fairness as well as the participation of peasants,
especially of women, for purposes of assigning
holding rights and carrying out distribution of
holdings;
provide for a grievance procedure on matters
pertaining to holding rights and distribution of
holdings;
make provisions,
not inconsistent
with this
Proclamation, for other general or particular matters as found necessary under the peculiar circumstances of the locality;

PART THREE
Miscellaneous Provisions
7; Payments on Rural Land Holdings
I) Persuant to the provisions of sub-Articles (2) an~
(10) of Article 97 of the constitution, Regional
Governments shall determine the rate of, and
collect, land-use-fees and royalties on the use of
forest resources.
2) In fixing rates under sub-Article (I) of this Article,
Regional Councils shall ensure the proportionality
thereof.

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No. 54 7" July, 1997-Page

631

8. Applicability
of Land AdministnJutin
Laws ~f Regions
A land administration
law heretofore
enacted
by any
Regional Council shall be applicable insofar as it is not
inconsistent with this Proclamation.
9. Relation with Other Laws
Any previous laws inconsistent with this Proclamation
shall
not be applicable with respect to matters provided for in this
Proclamation.
10. Effective Dale
This Proclamation shall enter into force as of the 7th day of
July, 1997.
Done at Addis Ababa, this 7th day of July, 1997.

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M.lI nll'l (\); t!! n

NEGASO

IIlY-'ifi! ~'9'"
PRESIDENT

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"T'I1i\.h

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0(\(."')" c'JI\" ...,.,."'t..' .I'.'c~:,. :1-.,.....

BERHANENA SELAM PRINTINGENTERPRIS

GIDADA

(DR.)

OF TIlE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC OF ETIlIOPIA