Indigenous Systems of Conflict Resolution in Oromo, Ethiopia
Authors: Desalegn Chemeda Edosa, Seleshi Bekele Awulachew, Regassa Ensermu Namara, Mukand Singh Babel and Ashim Das Gupta
Abstract
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This paper describes the role of the Gadaa system, a uniquely democratic political and social institution ofthe Oromo people in Ethiopia, in the utilization of important resources such as water, as well as its contribution in conflict resolution among individuals and communities. It discusses ways to overcome thedifference between customary and statutory approaches in conflict resolution. A synthesis of customary andstatutory system of conflict resolution may facilitate a better understanding that will lead to improvedmanagement of resources, which are predominant variables for the socio-economic development of the country. It suggests that top-down imposition and enforcement of statutory laws that replace customary laws should be avoided. Instead, mechanisms should be sought to learn from the Lubas, elders who are knowledgeable in the Gadaa system, about the customary mechanisms of conflict resolution so as tointegrate them in enacting or implementing statutory laws.
Keywords: Gadaa, indigenous institution, Oromo, conflict resolution, Awash River Basin, Borana.
Introduction
Ethiopia is said to have abundant potential water resources, all emanating within its territory. Nevertheless, water resources scarcity in the country is to be understood in terms of its spatial and temporal distributions. This is related to the issue of water resources accessibility, which in turn relates to people’s ability to obtain water to satisfy their needs, taking into account factors such as time and distance to collect water, rights ofaccess and costs. Wherever there is water, land suitable for agriculture may not be available and vice versa. Therefore, although Ethiopia, with over 1,700 m3/s per capita water availability is not a water stressed country, the spatial and temporal variability of water limits the country’s development, management and equitable distribution.
The level of water supply in Ethiopia is among the lowest in Africa. Above all, its availability in the dry season is of great concern to the majority of rural populations across the arid and semi-arid parts of the country where villagers travel long distances to the nearest sources of water after local sources have become exhausted as a result of prolonged dry season. For example, in the Awash River Basin, spending 4-6 hours on a daily basis for getting water is not uncommon for a rural household living far from a river course (Desalegn et al., 2004). Inthe Dollo and Filtu districts of the Liban Zone of the Somali Regional State, there is hardly any perennialsource of water between Genale and Dawa, the two main rivers in the regional state. Therefore, villagers in places like Filtu must rely on water tankers from Negelle (127 kilometers away) or have to fetch water from a borehole at a distance of 50 kilometers, once the nearby but highly polluted local pond dries out (Ahrens andFarah, 1996). Situations prevailing in the other zones of the Somali Regional State and in the Borana Zone of the Oromia Regional State are also the same. Historically, the strong bias towards urban development meansthat the provision of water supplies in rural areas is particularly low. A great majority of Ethiopians use unsafe and polluted water, and are at risk for a great variety of water-borne diseases (Flintan and Imeru 2002).
As a result, both intra- and inter-ethnic conflicts over the use of natural resources are commonplace in the drylands of Ethiopia in general and in the Awash River Basin and the Borana and Liban zones in particular. Dessalegn (1999) argues that in Ethiopia, development, not water scarcity, is a more important source of conflicts between the rural communities. Conflicts that ensue from development-oriented undertakings include:1) disagreements between different users over the allocation of waters, land rights, or maintenance issues; 2)conflicts between users and the authority responsible for the project over inappropriate design of infrastructure,peasant relocations, water charges, or management issues; 3) conflicts between project beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries; and, 4) conflict between donor agencies and the recipient country over design, management, environmental impact, and financial issues. Click here to download the whole pdf document .....