Gambela conflict

Gambela conflict
The Gambela Region within Ethiopia
Date Early to mid 2000s – present Location Gambela Region Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Anuak militia GPLM OLA	Government of Ethiopia ENDF
Commanders and leaders
	Omod Mutukuye Ugetu Ading
At least 138 killed and 113 injured due to unrest and significant property damage reported since May 2023.

The Gambela conflict refers to sporadic conflicts in the Gambela Region of Ethiopia between armed groups of the indigenous Anuak people with civilians of the indigenous Nuer people, and the Ethiopian military. Following resettlement policies implemented by the Derg regime in the 1980s, a number of ethnic conflicts have taken place between the Anuak people indigenous to much of the Gambela region, and other groups which were resettled in the region. Following the collapse of the Derg regime, persistent ethnic tensions in the region have occasionally exploded into open conflict. Such conflict erupted in the early to mid 2000s, coinciding with an increase in petroleum extraction in the region, and led to a number of incidents resulting in the large-scale deaths of civilians. The Ethiopian military has intervened to combat Anuak militias.

Anuak activists have claimed that ethnic Anuaks in Ethiopia have suffered from torture, indiscriminate killings, looting, and discrimination from various other minority militias operating in the country, as well as from the Ethiopian government itself. The Ethiopian government has denied that its military was involved in attacks on Anuaks, and instead attributed violence in the region to local ethnic militias. Others have alleged that Anuak militias have committed human rights abuses against other groups, such as killing Nuer civilians.

Background

The Anuak people are one of the more than eighty ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Their villages are scattered along the rivers of southeastern Sudan and western Ethiopia. They speak a Nilotic language known as Dha Anywaa, which is spoken by several Anuaks in Ethiopia. For the most part, they are herdsmen and farmers and they practice mainly Animism, however there are small groups of Christian adherents. Currently there are around 300,000 Anuaks in Ethiopia. Historically, the Anuak kingdom used to be a federation of villages headed by an independent Nyie. These villages were constantly feuding among themselves for the control of the Ocwak – the royal throne and bead. Traditionally, the Anyuak wear large amounts of beads and other artifacts like the tail of giraffe.

Issues

The Anuaks have many neighbor ethnic groups including the Ajiebo Murle, Nuer, Dhuok Suri, the Oromo, and Amhara (the highlanders). Their relationship with other ethnic groups is usually hostile and violent, especially with the Nuer who have pushed them to the east. There are many natural resources in western Ethiopia and adding more fuel to the violence is the more than eight languages spoken by other groups around the Anuak land.

Militant activities

After the EPRDF government came to power in 1991, it ruled the area through local parties, but real power was still in the hands of the local highlanders. And ethnic conflicts occur between the highlanders and the Anuaks, sometimes bringing in the Nuers as well. These ethnic problems began in the 1980s - when the previous Derg government used forced resettlement to bring about 50,000 people from Ethiopia's exhausted central highlands suffering drought to the fertile, but swampy, malaria-infested Gambella region where the Anuaks and Nuers live. The Anuak rebels also attack miners and economic development workers in Gambela. In 2004 the militants killed three government refugee workers and attacked a United Nations vehicle.

In October, 2005, Anuak rebels attacked four police officers and prison wardens. Along with this attack the Anuak militants targeted the police station and prison to free many jailed rebel fighters. They also wounded six other men and murdered the Gambella Regional police commissioner.

Attacks on Nuers

Nuer are living in South Sudan and Ethiopia for centuries. They number in thousands and live in the Gambela Region of Ethiopia. Despite the attempt of the regional government to keep peace, Anuak rebels continue to attack Nuers. In August 2002, two Nuer men were stabbed several times by a group of Anuak youth in and around Gambella’s main market. Also in 2002, a hand grenade thrown onto a passenger Isuzu truck, full of Nuers traveling to Lare in Jikawo woreda, killing two instantly and wounding 18. One of the victims later died in hospital from his wounds. The attack took place at the Mobil fuel station in the middle of Gambela town. The attacker who was also wounded in the process was later held by the army and allegedly confessed that he was part of a bigger group organized to eliminate the Nuers. The plan was originally envisaged to attack the Nuer during the Ethiopian New Year celebration. A hand grenade was also thrown into a dormitory at the Teachers’ training College wounding six ethnic Nuer Sudanese refugees, one of them seriously. Same day a group of Anuak coming as far as the Abobo woreda attacked the Nuer settlement at Ochom for the second time, wounding four people, but killing 35 sheep, six cows and unspecified number of goats. Four households were burned down. Among the assailants, unspecified number was killed or wounded. Later in 2002, five Nuer men who went to cut bamboo for roofing on the road to the Anfillo woreda in the Oromia Region were ambushed, killing two and wounding one; the survivors identified their attackers as Anuaks. The perpetrators are still at large.

In June 2006, Anuak militants attacked a bus travelling from Addis Ababa to Gambela and killed fourteen passengers. Around 40 more people were injured and wounded in the attack.

The Honey people of the Rain forest, the Majang (Majangir) people

Here is an overview of the history of the Majang people in the Gambella region of Ethiopia: the Majang are an ethnic group indigenous to the Gambella region of western Ethiopia, near the border with South Sudan. They are agriculturalist people and their zone comprise the highest economy of the region, numbering around 50,000 people. The Majang are peaceful and harmonious people. Their ethnic identity is characterized by constructive approach to their neighboring ethnic groups, for this cause they settled in Gambela region, Oromia and South Western Regional States. The majority dwell in Gambela and they are not found outside Ethiopia.

The Majang have a long history in the Gambela region, where they have lived as hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers for centuries. But currently, their way of life is dramatically changed to sedentary villages, they grow coffee, fruits, spices, maize, durra, root crops and they are also engaged in beekeeping. They are the highest producers of pure honey in the region. Majang Nationality Zone, were majority of the Majang people live produce more than 10% of coffee from the national production. They are closely tied to the natural environment and have developed sustainable practices for utilizing the region's abundant natural resources. Historically, the Majang lived in small, autonomous communities and had limited interaction with the central Ethiopian state. But due to the introduction of federal system, the Majang are recognize self determination and self governance, this opportunity has opened doors for Majang to have access to the federal government. The role of Majang at regional and national political system had increased. They maintained their traditional way of life and cultural practices relatively undisturbed across the dense forest until the 20th century.

In the early 20th century, the incorporation of the Gambela region into the Ethiopian empire led to increased contact between the Majang and the outside world. This brought changes to the Majang way of life, including the introduction of new agricultural practices, the establishment of towns and infrastructure, and the gradual erosion of their traditional social structures. During the 20th century, the Majang faced various challenges, including land alienation, deforestation, and conflict with people fled hunger and unemployment from the North who are moving deep into their territories. This threatened their subsistence livelihoods and cultural traditions.They are many people migrating from Amhara and Tigray regional states to Majang territory. These people are encroaching to the Majang forest and lands; within recent years they have pushed the Majang people away from well serviced areas. Doubtfully, it the current displaced, and pressure of deforestation is not ended as soon as possible by the government, the Majang people may sooner or later loose their territory.

In recent decades, there have been efforts by the Majang people and their advocates to preserve their unique identity, land rights, and traditional practices. This includes campaigns to protect the Majang's ancestral forests and to gain greater recognition and political representation for the Majang community within the Ethiopian federal system but these steps couldn't save the forest from destruction and the people from displacement.

Overall, the Majang people have a longstanding history and cultural identity rooted in the Gambella region, despite the various social, economic, and political changes they have experienced over the 20th and 21st centuries. Preserving their traditional way of life remains an ongoing challenge and priority for the Majang community.

Here are some specific cultural practices of the Majang people that have been preserved:

• Traditional beekeeping: The Majang people have a long history of beekeeping, using hollowed logs placed in trees as hives to collect honey. Beekeeping remains an important traditional economic activity for the Majang.
• Social structure: The Majang traditionally had a very strong ritual leaders called "tapa" they had dual responsibility, the political and spiritual power. The tap leadership system and power was gradually abolished first by the invasion of Italian in 1940s were they captured all strong tapa who had influence over the Majang people and exiled them to Gore. Betume a tapa of Pini the current Kumi village and Samunkaay a tapa of Pajaji were captured and taken to prison in Gore, all of them couldn't return. Maybe they are executed by the Italian aggressors. Disagreements were resolved by one party simply moving away rather than through formal reconciliation mechanisms.

• Clan-based Identity and exogamy: The Majang have over 70 clans, with clan identity passed down through the male line. They practice clan exogamy, where people cannot marry within their own clan or their mother's clan.

• Traditional music and instruments: The Majang have traditionally used a variety of musical instruments like the five-string lyre, thumb piano (toom), drum (tarbuy), and marimba. Their vocal music includes both harmonies and antiphonal singing between men and women.

• Traditional alcoholic drinks: The Majang traditionally made two types of alcoholic drinks - one from grain called "tááján" and one from honey called "ògòòl" .

• Shifting cultivation: Traditionally, the Majang lived in small groups, farming an area for 3-5 years before moving on as the soil fertility diminished, practicing a form of shifting cultivation.