An Assessment of Resettlement in Ethiopia: A Case Study of Gidda Kiramu Sirdoorosite in East Wollaga Zone
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Date
2007-04
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The major objective of this study is evaluating the 2002/03 resettlement program in Ethi op ia. The program
was also examined for the presence of individual motives other than food security. In vest igation was made
in terms of the experience of resettlers as farmers, its policy, and implementation procedures in Sire Dooro
site of East Wollaga zo nal administration in The Regional State ofOromia.
The method followed to meet the objectives included qualitative analysis and interpretation of data
co llected by in-depth interviewing, observation, etc., and by invest igation of secondary so urces of data such
as the 1994 constitution, the policy (guide line) of resettlement, etc and other works in the area of my study.
A total of 56 informants were interviewed out of which data obtained from 21 key informants of all ranges
of age, sex, education, and experience as farmers were incorporated in this thesi . Moreover, the Cultural
Consensus Model was employed to bring out variety of information about the background of resettlers when
the other methods fail to do so in the study.
Comparison of features of previous resettlement programs with the present ones was made to illuminate
differences and similarities as part of the research des ign in the study. The role and nature ofcontlict in the
area was assessed critically. Unlike previous studies on the subject of resett lement, the present study
considered how the capacity of implementers, and the experience of resettlers as farmers were affecting the
program in general.
The major findings of the present study include; the observation that the conventional evaluation of
conflicts which affect the success of the program was not ethnic based and that they were rather resource
based. Despite its spontaneity at initial stage, the current resettlement was being carried out under
conditions of availability of a huge amount of money made available by the Regional State of Oromia. My
observation allowed me to see that the program was being implemented according to the policy except in a
few instances regarding its preparation. The social services like schools, clinics, the dry weather road, and
small market were being shared by the local population as well. Lack of compatibility of the resettlemet
program with the constitutional rights and with the traditional land tenure system was identified by
investigation. There were indications that the experience of resettlers as farmers had affected their
productivity in the program. It was also revealed in the present study that the conventional alliance
between all Amhara occupants had shifted to an alliance between a portion of the Amharas with the Oromo
community in the locality. The fact that the ethnic line that opposing groups seemed to follow had played
only symbolic role was evidenced in the observation of the present study. There were even more evidences
to this like the presence of armed Amhara militias in Oromo farmers' association in the site of my study.
The establishment of marriages between the Amhara and Oromo communities in the locality indicated that
there are no sanctions that prohibit the formation of such social relations and that the possibility for ethnic
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based conflict was unlikely to occur in th e site at least immedi ately after impl ementation of the program.
The study has a considerab le significance for policy makers and implementers of agricul tural projects such
as that being carried out in Ethiopia, where a large proporti on of the population suffe rs from fam ine each
year. It can also contribute to the effort to bridge the gap of knowledge in understanding di fferent forms of
resettlement in Ethiopia. Generally, the study wi ll have a criti ca l role in determining the strategy for
implementation of resettlement programs, in policy formu lation, site se lecti on, and recruitment of reset tiers .
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A case study of Gidda Kiramu -Sire Dooro Site in East Wollaga Zone