AN APPRAISAL OF THE USE OF NATIONAL FLAG OF ETHIOPIA: THE LAW AND PRACTICE ARROUND BENCHI SHEKO, SHEKA AND KAFFA ZONES

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.