ABSTRACT
Of the four humanitarian principles—humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence—the principle of independence is perhaps the least prominent. Humanity and impartiality are often viewed as the most important core tenets. Neutrality is a practical tool, necessary to gain acceptance and access in conflicts and charged political environments, but not a value in and of itself. Independence ensures that international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) can choose where to go, whom to help, and how to do so without undue financial or political influence from governments, donors, and warring parties. The backdrop to how multiple Ethiopian governments have viewed independent humanitarian actors is deep and complicated, and admittedly also includes occasions when there were legitimate questions about INGO neutrality. The opaqueness of authoritarian contexts calls for humanitarian agencies to take a longer-term, consistent, and strategic approach that includes investment in contextual analysis, historical knowledge of the agency’s history, and institutional relationship building.
