For the umpteenth time, we call on the federal and regional authorities to scale up security in Metekel, he said, referring to the district of Benishangul-Gumuz where the killings took place. Gumuz: a dialect survey report. Ethnic targeting means minorities are not able to move freely in the region, nor in neighboring towns in the Amhara region. They also began to spread Islam among the Berta. [5], Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the Benishangul-Gumuz Region has a total population of 784,345, consisting of 398,655 men and 385,690 women; urban inhabitants number 105,926 or 13.51% of the population. Main photo: PM Abiy Ahmed and Benishangul Gumuz regions president Ashadli Hassan at a public conference in Benishangul on peace and security situation in Metekel; 22 December 2020; Office of the Prime Minister. Concise, actionable scenarios and predictions from top regional experts. This is the viewpoint of the author. [13] In the late 19th century, Ethiopia, under Menelik II, annexed the Sultanates of Beni Shangul and Gubba (Qubba in Arabic) at the behest of Abdallahi ibn Muhammad of Sudan who feared the British would occupy it. It was previously known as Region 6. Since its establishment under the 1995 constitution, questions about who has rights in the region have been contested. . As a result, the militias are strengthening their holdings and bargaining power. Tsega Etefa does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. While the Blue Nile-Benishangul-Gumuz borderland is not free from conflict, it provides an example of . We are seeing the beginning of one more potentially big refugee crisis in the world, Haavisto said. The diplomatic dispute with Sudan and Egypt should be solved through dialogue and the dam negotiations should proceed amicably. Some of ethnic groups native to the Benishangul-Gumuz region are: Five of these ethnic groups (Berta, Gumuz, Shinasha, Mao and Kwama) are granted the exclusive right to non-territorially functioning indigenous councils. UNHCR is working to install basic. Uzar, Henning. Join the Middle East's most notable experts for premium memos, trend reports, live video Q&A, and intimate in-person events, each detailing exclusive insights on business and geopolitical trends shaping the region. Box 61 Assosa, Ethiopia Telephone: +25125-7-754738 . However, due to increased population which has led to the widespread destruction of the canopy, authorities announced a campaign on 8 June 2007 to plant 1.5 million seedlings over the next two months to replenish this resource. There are a few questions that I wish the author addressed. Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs. The committees head, Abdallah Hamo, said that the committees investigation found that Sudan and Egypt support violence in the region, and that the armed groups received training and illegal weapons at the border with Sudan. Under Ethiopia's 1995 federal constitution, the region is autonomous and administered by locals, which was not the case under the Derg military regime or . The attacks by armed militia, mainly from the Gumuz people against the Oromo, Amhara, Shinasha, and Awi residents of Metekkel, escalated in September 2020 and continued into March of 2021. Ethiopia started filling the dam, which is over 70% complete, in July 2020 and is getting ready for the second filling in July 2021. Unseth, Peter. Trading in slaves in Bela-Shangul and Gumuz, Ethiopia: border enclaves in history, 1897-1938. "Folks have never actually went to war just because of water. Photos from the aftermath of the attack, provided by local activists, showed bloodied bodies of women and children strewn on the ground, many with horrific wounds. 1939-40. [14][20], Resistance to the Mengistu regime here came mainly from the Berta. The Bega (Gumuz) of Wellega: Agriculture and subsistence. In addition, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) - supported by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, which in the meantime had advanced far south from Eritrea - also fought for the area in the Ethiopian civil war in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The region's capital is Assosa. Slavery did not disappear in Ethiopia until the 1940s. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The hydro-electricity dam is now nearly complete and has begun filling to provide direly needed energy supply to Ethiopia. [22], Over 60% of this region is covered with forest, including bamboo, eucalyptus and rubber trees, incense and gum forests as well as the indigenous species. The rights group said the Gumuz set the homes on fire and stabbed and shot residents. The major road that connects the Metekel Zone and the Assosa Zone was built by the China Construction Company in 2012. [9], There are 2 refugee camps and 1 transit center, housing 36,440 refugees from Sudan and South Sudan, located in Benishangul-Gumuz region. And all the ethnic groups in the Metekkel zone should be protected and their issues addressed lawfully. Insecurity has prevented people from accessing their land for next years farming. Firstly, government-sponsored reconciliation efforts were made since the eruption of the violence which, unfortunately, failed to produce the expected outcome. Negotiations over an agreement between the three nations over the filling of the dam have stalled recently. The risk of domestic violence is rising. He notes that they hunted with bows and arrows, a custom that survives today. Cite Ethiopia Insight and link to this page if republished. Days later, the national army regained control of the town, but the event laid bare a deteriorated security apparatus, leaving many civilians with the impression that they have little hope for proper protection. Sister exchange marriage. Luxury goods such as textiles and glass beads were imported via Sudan. Benishangul-Gumuz Regional state, Western Ethiopia Research Article Volume 25 Issue 5 - September 2020 . The remaining four seats belong to the Mao Komo Special Wereda. The regional government announced the signing of an agreement with the militia group on 18 May in Gilgel Beles town. Data-driven analysis of latest market trends. [13] Besides slaves, gold was traditionally an important export of Benishangul. With its vast and fertile land, Benishangul-Gumuz was once looked at as a crucial development corridor of the country. Often the Gumuz' lands were allocated to transnational or domestic investors. There was resettlement of highlanders to their area, particularly linked to the availability of land and water. At the epicenter of these complex crossroads is Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State: site of the dam, bordering with Sudan, and cloaked in chaos that will prevent many of its constituents from participating in the upcoming national election. The sun rises behind the skyline of Egypt's capital Cairo and its Nile river island of Manial, Nov. 3, 2022. The problem is not against the principles of a peace dialogue; rather, it is with the points missed and incorporated into the agreement. Metekel Zone, located in Benishangul Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, is home to many ethnic groups, such as the Gumuz, the Amharas and the Shinashas. UNHCR and partners move refugees to safety in the Benishangul Gumuz region in Ethiopia. Mr. Abiys decision to open up Ethiopian politics after he came to power in 2018, releasing political prisoners and allowing exiles to return, was widely acclaimed. And as a result, the Nile delta becomes the second most susceptible place on earth to climate change impacts in terms of sea level rise," says Karim Elgendy, an associate fellow at the Chatham Institute think tank. As time passes, the Gumuz militias are strengthening their holdings and capacity, expanding and imposing their presence into Kamashi and Assosa zones. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Eighteen years later, marginalisation, ethnic exclusion, poor governance and the absence of workable democratic mechanisms have significantly affected community relations. Various trade routes met in Benishangul, and local gold and Ethiopian amole (salt bars) were exchanged for slaves, cattle, horses, iron, civet, musk, coffee, ivory and honey (which also came from the Oromo areas of Sibu and Leeqaa). Some of the reasons for the attacks include neighbouring Amhara states claim to ownership of the Metekkel zone. 01 May 2023 17:03:29 Read more: According to their traditions, in earlier times they inhabited the western parts of the province of Gojjam, but were progressively banished to the inhospitable area of the Blue Nile and its tributaries by their more powerful Afroasiatic-speaking neighbors, the Amhara and Agaw, who also enslaved them (Wolde-Selassie Abbute 2004). With national and international attention being pulled in many directionsmost notably towards war in Tigraythe problems of Benishangul-Gumuz are being eclipsed. The region's capital is Assosa. Read more: Part of this work requires addressing the underlying factors that have fuelled the crisis. What are the historical and social contexts? More than 100,000 people have been displaced and 7,000 people have fled to Sudan. The dam is in Guba, one of the six districts in Metekkel. Disarming the armed group could have been a better solution than arming the unarmed group which will likely fuel further conflict, putting the area into a vicious cycle of conflict. Afari said, I do not rule out any Egyptian and Sudanese efforts to use the rebels in Ethiopia as a pressure card and to provide them with weapons, in light of the difficult choice to head to a direct war and in an attempt to deter Ethiopia from taking unilateral actions., Samir Ghattas, a former Egyptian member of parliament and head of the Middle East Forum for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor, Egypt is in a difficult positionas Ethiopia insists on the second filling of the GERD, and given the difficulty to go into a direct war out of fear of international reactions. #NEWS ALERT The number of #refugees in eastern Africa has tripled in the last decade to almost 5 million. [18] In 1898, Asosa became the political and economic capital. Egypt's support for the rebels is very probable, as the Nile waters consist of a life or death matter for the Egyptians, and it is possible for Egypt to use all the cards to pressure Addis Ababa in its battle with Ethiopia.. The Benshangul/Gumuz Region lies on Ethiopia's western border with Sudan, and shares internal borders with Amhara and Oromia Regions. Awadi noted that the Ethiopian society is disintegrated, as sporadic demonstrations occasionally erupt in the country, due to the prime ministers policies of marginalization and persecution of several social groups. Many Gumuz people have been displaced and they are not happy that the investors are hiring non-Gumuz workers to aid in their occupation of an area that is rich in resources like gold, marble and fertile agricultural land. Climate change, population growth and a regional fight for water resources are all contributing to the risk of water imbalance, experts say. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Villages have been razed to the ground. John Young, "Along Ethiopia's Western Frontier: Gambella and Benishangul in Transition". Survivors and refugees of the Benishangul-Gumuz massacre walk through the displaced persons camp in the city of Chagni, Ethiopia, Dec. 31, 2020. "I believe there will come a point where some level of cooperation has to happen, because there is no other alternative," says Mahmoud. Refugees and internally displaced people are at the centre of the food ration cuts, compounding a desperate situation for millions of people uprooted from their homes and often relying on aid to survive, said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UNHCRs Regional Bureau Director for the East, Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes. Benishangul-Gumuz Region is one of the peripheral regions of Ethiopia bordering the Sudan. It hosts more than 70,000 refugees from those countries, as well as more than a half-million Ethiopians internally displaced by. Associate Professor of History, Colgate University. Survivors of a massacre in December in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. However, all these measures were followed by an elevated conflict which resulted in dreadful consequences where civilians were brutally killed based on their skin color, their homes and farms were destroyed by fire. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Ethiopia's new party is welcome news, but faces big hurdles, area has become a juncture for different interest groups, actors from the neighbouring Amhara state, Why Ethiopia's new leader could be a game changer, opposed to the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam without negotiation, owned up to orchestrating ethnic targeted killings, Chief of Staff (Global Culture and Engagement), Lecturer in Environmental Art - School of Art and Design. The mob killing of a Gumuz man in Chagni, on 12 April, in the heart of the town in front of government authorities, is one of many signs of uncontained chaos. Do their policies help peace or exacerbate conflict? In. If you dont influence it now then the circumstances will build so that there are more and more refugees coming.. I suspect justice means something different to the rebel group than to this author and government. It even considers that it is the only country entitled to the Nile waters, which Egypt totally rejects. The five largest ethnic groups in Benishangul-Gumuz were the Berta (27%), Gumuz (23%), Amhara (22%), Oromo (13%) and Shinasha (7%). That is why we must all persevere and do our part., Ethiopias parliamentary committee tasked with appraising the dispute over the GERD officially accused Sudan and Egypt on March 5 of standing behind the violence in the Benishangul-Gumuz region.. 1975. The Gumuz speak the Gumuz language, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan family (Bender 1979). The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said more than 180 people were killed in separate massacres in Metekel in December and January. The officials believe that the Prosperity Party, to which they now belong, wants to eliminate the existing federal arrangement which guarantees self-rule to ethnic groups in the country. Unseth, Peter. Minorities also deserve protection from tyrannical forms of majority ruleincluding forms that do not consider equal protection of minorities as essential, or which go so far as to engage in the forced assimilation and active annihilation of minority groups. Benishangul -Gumuz. The incumbent parliament has 99 seats. This claim gained momentum after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assumed power in April 2018. Egypt is not the only country that depends on the river -- it's shared by 11 African countries. "It will determine the impact of this disruption and the reduction to the volumes of water that goes to Egypt," he said. Memos - premium analytical writing: actionable insights on markets and geopolitics. These interest groups include actors from the neighbouring Amhara state who claim ownership of the Metekkel zone. Benishangul Gumuz regional authorities have shown solidarity with refugees and identified a new temporary site with capacity to accommodate 20,000 people. They said that many of the victims were ethnic Amharas and Agaws, who are a minority in that region. Since 2019, a cross-border collaboration programme has been implementing activities aimed to develop and enhance income-generating opportunities in the border area of Benishangul-Gumuz Region (Ethiopia) and Blue Nile State (Sudan), as a means of strengthening the population's resilience to instability and displacement and to improve overall living conditions. This operation has lasted more than three months, and we do not see the end, Haavisto said. [17], In the first quarter of the 19th century, Arab traders arrived from Sennar, which was occupied by Ottoman Egypt from 1821. High-ranking officials including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the area and discussed with representatives of the people in December 2020. [12], Like the Gambela Region, Benishangul-Gumuz is historically closely linked to neighbouring areas of Sudan, and to a lesser extent to the Ethiopian Highlands. 2023 Al-Monitor, LLC. Photo: Benishangul Gumuz regional government Addis Abeba - The Benishangul Gumuz regional government said it has signed a peace agreement on 10 December with the armed group Benishangul People's Liberation Movement (BPLM) in Khartoum, Sudan. Instead, cross-border trade has increased, away from official pathways. But it also unleashed simmering ethnic tensions. In 2019, the Metekel conflict began. Aaron Maasho, a spokesman for the government-funded Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, which reported the killings on Wednesday, urged Mr. Abiy to deploy extra security forces to keep the peace in the troubled region. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners are rushing life-saving aid to more than 20,000 refugees after they fled clashes in Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz region, bordering Sudan and South Sudan. The unfolding conflict in different parts of the country and the withdrawal of popular political parties from the election has overshadowed the stalled national election. Millions of displaced families across eastern Africa will fall deeper into hunger as food rations dwindle due to humanitarian resources being stretched to the limit as the world grapples with a toxic cocktail of conflict, climate shocks, and COVID-19, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday. 1981. Lifelines: exchange marriage among the Gumuz. UN food agency, FAO, UN children's agency, UNICEF, and WFP, warn that greater humanitarian assistance and livelihoods support is needed immediately to save lives and prevent the collapse of livelihoods in the worst-affected locations across South Sudan. What are the policies of neigbouring states toward the BSG region? As "Shanquella", they are already mentioned by Scottish explorer James Bruce in his Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, published in 1790. It is the administrative center of Bambasi woreda . In, Wallmark, Peter. At least 7,000 people who fled escalating ethnic violence in western Ethiopia have sought asylum in neighbouring Sudan, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has said, amid heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries. In other words, the upcoming election will be conducted in 46 regional constituencies, and will not take place in 53 constituencies due to security reasons. Abiy, the winner of the Nobel 2019 Peace Prize, declared victory after federal forces entered the regional capital of Mekelle in late November, though the TPLF pledged to fight on and clashes have persisted in the region, hampering efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance. It seems a terrible idea. First, an area needs to be effectively controlled, ensuring the availability of appropriate levels of security, social services, and economic opportunities for returnees. Thisis the first time, however, that an armed group takes full control of several cities in the region, in light of the security forces failure to counter it. You have come to the situation which is militarily and human rights-wise, humanitarian-wise very out of control, Finlands Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told journalists in Brussels, a day after briefing the blocs ministers on the crisis. Commenting on the Ethiopian parliament's accusations that Egypt and Sudan are involved in the violence in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Awadi, undersecretary of the Egyptian parliamentary Defense and National Security Committee, told Al-Monitor, Egypt will not keep quiet toward Ethiopias intransigence regarding the GERD. In particular, the proposed power-sharing arrangements with the militias has raised many eyebrows. Opposition political parties, like the Boro Democratic Party (BDP), rejected the 18 May agreement between the regional government and the leaders of the militias, which included power-sharing elements, as illegitimaterecalling that the only way to assume power should be through an election. Sorghum is used for cooking porridge (nga) and brewing beer (kea). Selected aspects of Gumuz phonology. La Trib dei Gumus. The growth in refugee numbers has not been matched by a growth in resources, forcing WFP to make difficult decisions about who receives food assistance and who goes without. Addis Ababa and Asmara both deny that Eritrean forces are involved in the conflict, contradicting witness reports from civilians, aid workers and some military and government officials in Tigray. Slaves were also smuggled into Sudan across the border, which was established in 1902. Fighting broke out on 18 January in the town of Tongo - reportedly between unidentified armed groups and federal forces - and the nearby camp . 1975. The Amhara state wants the right to administer Metekkel because it wants to control the zones mineral deposits and arable lands. The boundary was confirmed in 1902 by Ethiopia and Sudan. The CSA of Ethiopia estimated in 2005 that farmers in Benishangul-Gumuz had a total of 307,820 head of cattle (representing 0.79% of Ethiopia's total cattle), 65,800 sheep (0.38%), 244,570 goats (1.88%), 1,770 mules (1.2%), 37,520 asses (1.5%), 732,270 poultry of all species (2.37%), and 166,130 beehives (3.82%). Regardless, some efforts were tried and they all failed. Eritrean writer and analyst Shifa al-Afari told Al-Monitor that the Benishangul-Gumuz region is currently seeing unprecedented tension that could be characterized as a state of war. According to him, this is the first time that this armed group, which took control of the county, and these weapons appear in the region. There have been reports that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces took measure on up to 500 youths reportedly coming from Sudan with training and armament. Those who supported the agreement argued that negotiation and compromise are positive by their nature and should be appreciated. Note Etnografiche. As a result, ethnic clashes that had already been growing for months have only gotten worse. The parliamentary defense committee affirms the Egyptians right to resort to all means so as to preserve their rights, and that all options are available in countering the Ethiopian intransigence.. In the latest episode, witnesses said that men of the Gumuz ethnic group, armed with rifles and swords, stormed into Daletti village early Tuesday. Klausberger, Friedrich. This indicated an inability of the government to provide security and maintain law and order in the region. The region has faced major challenges to economic development, due to lack of transportation and communications infrastructure. According to the regions constitution, the Benishangul-Gumuz State Council should have less than 100 seats. Of course, fulfilling the preconditions requires coordinated and concerted action among humanitarian organizations and government entities. Despite some progress, the humanitarian response remains drastically inadequate compared to the sheer magnitude of needs across the region, the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OHCA) said in a report on Saturday. Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesmanMansour Bouladresponded to the Ethiopian accusations on March 5, saying in apress statement, Sudan has no intention to invest in violence in its relations with other countries.. The unfortunate reality is that eastern Africa is confronted with a year of unprecedented humanitarian needs, driven by severe climate shocks, ongoing conflict and instability, and surging food and fuel prices, said Michael Dunford, WFPs Regional Director for Eastern Africa. Bambasi (also known as Abba Moti) is a town in western Ethiopia. The Blue Nile region is situated in the south-eastern part of Sudan, bordering Ethiopia and South Sudan. Do any of these explain the rebellion? Over 100,000 people, mainly a large proportion of Amhara and Agaw people, have been displaced, the majority fleeing into Chagni, Ranch camp. But over the next two years, experts say Egyptians could approach a state of "absolute" water scarcity. Now, we could be at the point in history where that changes," says Mohammed Mahmoud, a director of the Climate and Water Program at the Middle East Institute. Amharas are the second most populous ethnic group in Ethiopia and they have been targeted repeatedly over the last year. Tsegaye is studying for a Peace and Development Work Masters degree at Linnaeus University in Sweden and is a political science lecturer at Assosa University. Built on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region, just 30 km from the border with Sudan, the GERD is nearing completion, with the Ethiopian government announcing in March 2023 that 90 per cent of the dam was finalized. Concerning religion, 44.98% of the population were Muslim, 33.3% were Orthodox Christians, 13.53% were Protestant, and 7.09% practiced traditional beliefs.
Flight Nurse Death Rate, Augusta National Women's Am 2022 Tickets, Articles B