Ethiopia-Gambella (2002– first combat deaths) 

Summary for 2006:

Inter-ethnic tensions and fighting persisted in the Gambella region of western Ethiopia but only 14 deaths were reported during the year. Fighting between clans was more severe in other areas of Ethiopia with Addis Ababa being hit by a series of unclaimed bombings resulting in civilian deaths. In addition, Ethiopia clashed with Somali Islamic forces, with fighting spilling over the Ethiopia-Somalia border.

Type of Conflict:

Failed state

Parties to the Conflict:

1) Various Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian ethnic groups populate the region. The most intense fighting has
occurred between the Anyuaa (Anuak) and the Nuer groups in Gambella, and between the Sheko-Mejjangar and Manja, and the Sheka and Bench-Maji in Yeki. Following the December 2003 massacre of over 400 Anuak by Ethiopian troops, the mainly Anuak-based rebel group, the Gambella People Liberation Movement/Front (GPLM/F), was formed. Their demands include self-determination for Gambella, an end to government-supported settlement in the region by Ethiopian ethnic groups and an end to oil exploration in the region.

2) Government of Ethiopia, led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The Ethiopian armed forces have been engaged in repressive operations in the region against ethnic groups that it sees as insubordinate to the control of the Ethiopian government.

Status of Fighting in 2006:

Inter-clan fighting continued throughout 2006 in the Gambella region, particularly between the region’s three largest indigenous groups, the Anuck, Nuer, and Mazinger. Large numbers of people were reported to have been displaced and some deaths reported. There were also ethnic clashes in other area of Ethiopia, specifically the towns of Yabello and Finchewa, some 400 km south of Addis Ababa, involving the Guji and Borena communities, and in eastern Ethiopia where the Habar Yonis and Idagaale communities fought over a water reservoir. In addition, a series of over a dozen reported bombings around the capital region of Addis Ababa have claimed a number of lives. Ethiopia has also been involved in numerous clashes with Islamic insurgents along the Somali border.

Number of Deaths:

Total: Between 1,000 and 1,700 people have been killed in inter-ethnic conflict in the south-western
region of Ethiopia since 2002.

2006: Casualties in the Gambella region were reported to number only 14 during the year. Ethnic clashes from other areas have resulted in 150- 200 civilians being killed with thousands displaced. Reports of the bombings in Addis Ababa have stated that between 10 and 27 were killed.

Political Developments in 2006:

The World Bank and Great Britain decided to lift the suspension on direct budgetary aid to Ethiopia, after it had been suspended for six months over governance concerns. The government also released thousands who had been arrested without charge following unrest and violence after 2005 elections. With tensions continuing to rise with neighbouring Eritrea and the defection of Ethiopian army general Kemal Geltu to the Eritrean cause, the political climate remained tense. Many believe the five year mandate won by Meles Zenawi in 2005 to be illegitimate, creating a fear of political instability. Former Ethiopian leader Mengistu Haile Mariam was found guilty in absentia of genocide after a 12-year trial and sentenced to life in prison.

Background:

The inter-ethnic conflict in south-western Ethiopia, primarily but not exclusively between the Anuak and the Nuer, has existed for decades and can be attributed to competition for the region’s scarce natural resources, especially land and water. This competition, and the resulting tensions, have been amplified over several decades by the influx of people to the region. In particular, the resettlement of highland peoples on traditional Anuak territory, a policy of the Derg regime in the 1970s and 1980s, and the arrival of tens of thousands of Nuer refugees from Sudan, have increased inter-ethnic tension. More recently, the Ethiopian government has become the main agent of violence in the region, engaging in systematic human rights abuses against the Nuer and Anuak including extra-judicial killings. In December 2003, over 400 Anuak were killed by government forces as a result of what several human rights groups have called a policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Arms Sources:

Belligerent groups use small arms taken from caches left in the region, either from the Derg regime or from the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) that had previously been active there. Weapons also flow from Sudan to Ethiopia through the porous shared border. Although the Ethiopian government has attempted to disarm the various groups, the pastoralist lifestyle of several of them has undermined these attempts. Ethiopia receives conventional arms mainly from Russia and the Ukraine and to a lesser extent from other former USSR countries such as Kazakhstan and Belarus. In 2006, Ethiopia spent a reported $345 million US on arms.
Source: [The SIPRI Yearbook, 2005/2006]

Economic Factors:

The conflict between the Anuak and the Nuer in Gambella, perhaps the most prominent conflict in the region, is in large part due to competition over scarce land and water resources. This competition is exacerbated by the divergent livelihoods pursued by the two groups; the Anuak are cultivators and the Nuers are pastoralists. Furthermore, some analysts have noted that the discovery of oil as well as the presence of other natural resources such as tungsten, platinum and gold, heightens the importance of this region for the Ethiopian government due to the interest of multinational corporations in their exploitation. Members of the indigenous ethnic groups have accused the Ethiopian government of wanting to remove them from the area and resettle the region with members of Ethiopian ethnic groups in order to ensure government control over the natural resources. Hostilities could be a real threat in the South-East region, as the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has stated that natural gas exploration will not be tolerated. The government has dismissed these threats and continues to assure the area is safe for both investment and exploration.

For the full report on this armed conflict, click here.