PROTECTION OF WILD ANIMALS DURING ARMED CONFLICT IN ETHIOPIA: LEGAL AND PRECTICAL ANALAYSIS

Wild animals can be harmed as a result of military, political, and socio-economic factors related to armed conflict particularly in countries like Ethiopia with ongoing instability and abundant wild life population. This thesis critically examines the strength and weaknesses of international and Ethiopia legal regimes to safeguard wild animals during armed conflict. In particular, the study analyzes to what extent international humanitarian law and international environmental law responded to the protection of wild animals, and it is established that IHL remain anthropocentric in nature and gave no explicit or clear protection to animals. This study applies both doctrinal and non-doctrinal methodology and the studies employ purposive semi-structured interviews to selected population to assess the implementation and shortcoming of the current law in practice. All such crucial principles like distinction, proportionality, and military necessity are not identified to meet the sophistication of wild animal’s protection, especially in non-international armed warfare. In Addition, there are international agreements like CITES, CMS, CBD, which, although important, tend to fall short of concretely concurring with war time legal standards and are confronted with enforcement challenges in conflict environment. For the case of Ethiopia, this study discovers that domestic legislation and policies not clearly designed to addressee specifically the particular exposure of wild animal during armed warfare. The war in region such as Tigray, Amhara and Oromia have resulted in loss of habitat, increased pooching, and direct killing of wild animal and this is escalated because of weak enforcement and institutional loopholes. The finding indicates that critical legal and practical gap existed at global and domestic level. The thesis concludes for those legal and practical gap find out in these pepper by making closing recommendations on the strengthening of legal frameworks, strengthening of enforcement bodies, and the functioning of international institutions and treaties.