Forced or Facilitated: Examining the Politics and Decision Making Behind IDPs Return in Tigray, Ethiopia

The voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Internally Displaced Persons is a fundamental principle of humanitarian and durable solutions frameworks. However, this principle is often compromised by political imperatives that prioritize expediency over human rights. This study examines the political decision-making process behind the return of IDPs in Tigray with particular reference to IDPs displaced from Zalambessa and Gulomekeda districts, arguing that it constituted a coercive and unsustainable initiative. Using a qualitative case study analysis, this research examined firsthand accounts of the return process against the standards of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and durable solution frameworks. The findings reveal that the return of IDPs is unilaterally dictated by the TPLF, deliberately excluding the participation of IDPs, humanitarian actors and other stakeholders. Furthermore, returns were enforced through the coercive tactic of linking food aid to return and were undertaken without establishing minimal institutional governance and security capacity in their areas of origin. Consequently, the study concludes that the return process has violated core humanitarian principles, resulting in forced return and undermining the prospects for durable peace. These findings underscore the critical need for robust accountability mechanisms and community-led assessment frameworks to protect IDPs legal rights in future return efforts.