Conflict Dynamics in a Three-Level Game: the Conflict Formation in Gambella, Southwest Ethiopia
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2014-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Gambella is one of the most, if not utmost, conflict ridden region of Ethiopia. For so long, the
conflict formation in the region has been understood as local ethnic conflict between the Anywaa
and the Nuer. Most of these are ethnographic studies that subscribe the Anywaa-Nuer ethnic
conflict to the dominant “primordial” and “constructivist” narratives of ethnology. Despite this
assumption, the conflict formation in Gambella is entangled at the national political process and
the dynamic transnational conflict formation in the Horn of Africa. The objective of this study
was to examine the conflict formation in Gambella from the three-level game of local, national
and transnational conflict dynamics. A qualitative interpretation and analysis of primary data
collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and comprehensive
reading of secondary data such as books, journals, reports and other relevant documents have
been made. The findings of the study show that the historic local ethnic relations and conflict
between the Anywaa and Nuer, that had to do with resources such as water and pasture, began
to be entangled to the national political processes in the early 20th century with the advancement
of Abyssinian empire state accompanied by grand projects of state and nation building. The two
ethnic groups were differentially integrated in the empire state. Starting from the second half of
the 20th century the ethnic relations in Gambella which was already entangled into the national
political processes became pawns in inter-state relations and conflict in the Horn of Africa. In
the transnational conflict dynamics of the Cold War, Derg and SPLM/A on the one side and
Khartoum and various armed groups fighting against Addis Ababa on the other side engaged in
proxy alliances and wars. Locally, the Nuer in Gambella were mobilized and recruited by Derg
in the fight in the North against EPLF and TPLF. The Anywaa supported by the Sudanese and
TPLF fought against the Nuer and SPLM/A in Gambella. Even if today the conflict in Gambella
is to do with the Anywaa political elites and highlanders and by extension the central
government, the more assertive Nuer is a variable in escalating the conflict. In what seems to be
a transnational conflict formation in South Sudan, the inter-ethnic relations and conflict between
the Anywaa and Nuer are further intertwined as the two ethnic groups mobilized along the
traditional “who is with whom” alliance formations along the frontier. Because this is a region
where states are weak in their frontiers and similar ethnic groups living in their international
borders are easily mobilized in transnational conflict dynamics
Description
Keywords
Gambella, Anywaa, Nuer, Conflict, Security, Three-Level Game