Rethinking famines as acts of violence

Famine is almost always caused by deliberate actions or inaction. Despite this, it is rare for those responsible to be held accountable, and the victims are seldom honored with monuments or memorials.

"In my thesis, I argue that famines can be prevented and are not solely caused by natural disasters. Famine is the result of human actions or inaction and should therefore be regarded as violence," says Fisseha Fantahun Tefera.

Weaponizing hunger and exacerbating natural disasters

Image

Focusing on large-scale famines in Africa during the postcolonial period (since the 1960s), Fisseha Fantahun Tefera looked at famines in Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, that have killed at least 100,000 people or more.

“The Nigerian Civil War, which took place in 1967-1970, is a clear example of how deliberate political strategies can weaponize hunger,” says Fisseha Fantahun Tefera.

During the civil war, the Nigerian government imposed a blockade on the breakaway region of Biafra, cutting off food supplies, medicine, and essential goods. This tactic, aimed at weakening Biafran forces, directly targeted the civilian population, using starvation as a weapon of war.

Efforts to deliver humanitarian aid were obstructed, with the government accusing relief organizations of supporting the secessionist movement. Over 500,000 people, mostly children, are estimated to have died from starvation and related diseases.

"This shows how the famine was not a result of natural scarcity but a political strategy to suppress dissent,” says Fisseha Fantahun Tefera.

In Ethiopia, during the famine of 1983-1985, Fisseha Fantahun Tefera demonstrates how state policies can exacerbate natural disasters. He explains how the Derg regime, under Mengistu Haile Mariam, prioritized military campaigns and ideological goals over humanitarian needs.

Forced relocations through resettlement and villagization programmes disrupted agricultural cycles and displaced millions of people, exacerbating food insecurity. Regions like Tigray and Wollo were neglected, with aid blocked or diverted.

“International food aid was often misused as a propaganda tool, both by the government and insurgent groups, worsening the conditions of famine-affected populations. While drought played a role, it was political actions that turned a natural challenge into a catastrophe that claimed around 500,000 lives,” says Fisseha Fantahun Tefera.

In Somalia, both the collapse of governance and the actions of political actors have repeatedly caused famines. Following the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991, the civil war fractured the state, leaving warlords and militias in control of various regions. These groups obstructed or looted humanitarian aid and disrupted farming and markets, turning food shortages into full-blown famines. The 1991-1992 famine claimed nearly 300,000 lives, many of whom perished because aid could not reach them. Similarly, in the 2011 famine, the US war on terrorism and the EU’s neglect contributed to the 2011 famine as aid was cut and withheld from aid agencies operating in Al-Shabab-controlled southern Somalia. The militant group Al-Shabaab also banned Western aid organizations from operating in areas under its control, accusing them of espionage.

“Despite early warnings from humanitarian organizations, international intervention was delayed, hindered by security risks and a lack of coordination. As a result, around 250,000 people, including tens of thousands of children, died, even though food and resources were available but inaccessible due to political and logistical barriers,” says Fissea Fantahum Tefera.

Remembrance can help prevent future famines and ensure accountability

As famines result from complicated processes and systems, including armed conflicts, climate change, economic shocks, etc., it’s difficult to assign responsibility to specific individuals in the legal sense. According to Fisseha Fantahun Tefera, it is only in recent years that we have seen increased attention to the need for accountability for famines, both in scholarly works and from policymakers.

“Shame and trauma, of course, play a role in the neglect of past famines from public commemorative works. States and societies might prefer to distance themselves from the memory of such traumatic events,” says Fisseha Fantahun Tefera.

"But remembering and holding people accountable are connected and reinforce each other. If famines are not remembered, it also leads to them being excluded from accountability systems – and vice versa."

In his doctoral thesis Fisseha Fantahun Tefera emphasizes that famines should be viewed not just as humanitarian crises, but as political processes of violence. By contributing to a deeper understanding of famine accountability and memory in Africa, his research shows how political decisions and narratives influence whether famines are addressed or forgotten in official context.

“My findings suggest that the scope of transitional justice frameworks should include famines. Additionally, it draws attention to the need to commemorate past famines both as part of the justice process and as a reminder that such disasters should never occur again.”