Abstract:
In the contemporary world, no country is found without a national flag. As the name indicates,
national flag symbolizes the sovereignty of states, its history, culture, eccentric, and the unity of
its peoples founded upon their common will. It is a depiction of the country’s rich heritage,
prosperity and the beliefs that the country holds. National flags are assumed to be imbued with
psychological meaning, paramount in conceptually representing the nation’s core values,
condensing the history and memories associated with one’s nation and embodying what the
nation stands for. Like other states, Ethiopia has a national flag which represents the nation and
its people. As it is well known, the people of Ethiopia has a great respect to the national flag as it
is a symbol of patriotism and pride. Indeed, any Ethiopian national shall have the responsibility
and duty to pay due honor to the Flag of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. So, the
use of the national flag shall be in full dignity. In effect, for the sake of dignity of the flag, the
country regulates the use of flag in different manners and occasions. However, at the country
level, there are problems in the use of the national flag. In one hand, there are legal problems
and on the other hand there are practical problems in the use of the national flag. This Research
work examined the legal gaps in the use of the national flag. Also, it evaluated the practical
enforcements of the flag proclamation around Benchi Sheko Kaffa and Sheka zones. This study
generally aims at to scrutinizing the Ethiopian legal framework in relation to flag use and
examine whether the practice around Benchi -Sheko, Sheka and Kafa zones fit with the legal
requirements. The findings from the empirical studies indicate that both government and private
institutions do not, largely, use the national flag in accordance with the flag proclamation.
Moreover, the flag proclamation does not regulate the use of the national flag adequately.
