Academic interests
Mekonnen Fisseha is a doctoral research fellow at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR). His research project aims to investigate the proposed transitional justice approach in Ethiopia concerning the war in Tigray, with a particular emphasis on accountability. The research seeks to explore whether and to what extent a national transitional justice mechanism can effectively address the human rights violations committed during the armed conflict in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The research provides a critical analysis of the legal and institutional frameworks regulating national transitional justice, challenges and prospects, compliance with international human rights standards pertaining to justice and accountability, and the interaction between national transitional justice processes and regional and international accountability mechanisms. It presents an analysis of the perspectives of victims and key stakeholders towards the proposed national transitional justice process, and offers a suitable model that redresses the gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.
Mekonnen is an academic staff member at Mekelle University School of Law and has more than sixteen years of teaching, research and community service where he served as the head of Mekelle University School of Law. He worked at the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) as Legal Protection Coordinator, at International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI, Oslo) as a Regional Researcher, and at the SEEFAR Foundation as a Country Representative/Attorney. Mekonnen has served as a Senior Gender Advisor/ Consultant at Mums for Mums and has engaged in consultancy services in a number of Civil Society Organizations and UN Agencies in Ethiopia. He has an extensive experience in project development, project cycle management, training and provision of community services to those in need in wide arrays of areas such as human rights advocacy, peace building, justice and accountability. Mekonnen is the co-founder and first executive director of a local human rights organization called Human Rights in Action-Ethiopia (HRA).
Mekonnen’s research interest focuses on transitional justice, human rights in conflict situations, gender and the law, peace building, community legal empowerment, national protection of human rights, rule of law and constitutionalism, human rights at local level, human rights in the security sector, electoral law, legal pluralism, human rights in the global South-focusing on the African human rights system.
Mekonnen holds a Master of Law in human rights from Central European University (CEU), and an LLB from Mekelle University.
Courses taught
- International human rights law- Mekelle University¸ Postgraduate Program
- Legal Theory and Contemporary Legal Issues-Mekelle University, Postgraduate Program
- Constitutional Bills of Rights, Postgraduate Program, Mekelle University in Collaboration with the University of Amsterdam
- Rule of Law and Constitutionalism- Postgraduate Program, Mekelle University in Collaboration with the University of Amsterdam
- Gender and Law- Postgraduate Program, Mekelle University Institute of Environment, Gender and Development Studies, Postgraduate Program
- Human Rights and Human Security- Postgraduate Program, Mekelle University Political Science and Strategic Studies
- Jurisprudence, Mekelle University Undergraduate Program
- Human Rights, Mekelle University Undergraduate Program
- Constitutional Law. Mekelle University Undergraduate Program
Publications
- Mekonnen Fisseha and Gebrehiwot Hadush (2020) ‘Enforcement of Constitutional Bills of Rights in the Regional States of Ethiopia’ Koninklijke Brill NV, P.O. Box 9000, 2300 PA Leiden, The Netherlands, pages 296–325 available at https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004415966/BP000017.xmlMekonnen Fisseha et al (2019),’The Prevalence of Gender-based Violence and Harmful Traditional Practices against Women in the Tigray Region, Ethiopia’ published under SAGE Publishing, Journal of Asian and African Studies, Vol. 55(1) 58–75
- Mekonnen Fisseha et al (2020), ‘ባይቶ ትግራይ ካብ ዕጥቃዊ ቃልሲ ክሳብ ሕገ መንግስትዊ ስርዓት’ (Book on “Baito Tigray-From Armed Struggle to Constitutional System” September 2020, Dawit Gebru Printing Press
- Mekonnen Fisseha, “War and Disability in Tigray from a Human Rights Perspective”, paper presented in a workshop organized by Alliance of Civil Society Organizations of Tigray, June 19, 2022
- Mekonnen Fisseha, “The Ethiopian Federation: Dead Ends and New Beginnings”, paper presented in a Seminar in Arts and Science Forum, Mekelle University College of Social Sciences and Languages, May 26, 2022
- Mekonnen Fisseha, “The Role and Contributions of Non-State Actors in Addressing Human Rights Atrocities during the War in Tigray”, Paper presented in a symposium organized by Alliance of Civil Societies of Tigray ACSOT), Tigray Universities Scholars Association, Mekelle University Human Rights Center, Mekelle University Legal Aid Center, April 2022
- Mekonnen Fisseha, “Analysis the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission-United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Joint Report in the Light of Human Rights Investigation Methodologies”, A review presented in a workshop Organized by Alliance of Civil Society Organizations of Tigray, January 2022
- Mekonnen Fisseha, “Legal Regime Governing Sexual and gender-based violence in Ethiopia” paper presented in a workshop organized by Alliance of Civil Society of Tigray (ACSOT) 2021
- Mekonnen Fisseha, “The State of the Ethiopian Federation: Predicaments, paper presented in a conference organized by Mekelle University College of Law and Governance in a collaboration with FDRE House of the Federation (Published in a proceeding), September 2019
- Mekonnen Fisseha, “Federalism and inter-governmental Relations in Ethiopia: Issues to Worry About”, paper presented in a conference organized by Tigray Meles Zenawi Academy June 2019, published as Paper in a proceeding.