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. It was not until the mid-20th century that Berta also settled in the lowlands, as slave hunts and armed conflict had ended. Violence by armed groups, and among ethnic-Gumuz, Agew, Amhara, and other communities in the Metekel zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz region, intensified in April, causing residents to flee.. The UNHCR said on Tuesday most of the 7,000 asylum seekers who fled Metekel have been living among Sudanese host communities. Globally, floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and intense, severely impacting countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan, and worsening food insecurity. Ethnic violence poses a major challenge to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as he tries to promote national unity in a country with more than 80 ethnic groups. As a result, the militias are strengthening their holdings and bargaining power. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Sister exchange marriage. I have no confidence in the proposed solution. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a part of a contentious decade-long dispute involving Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. 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. It criticised Sudan's 1 May claim of sovereignty over Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region, where the dam is being constructed. It needs to change. The region shares a border on the west with Sudan and is also the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The UN says that areas where 80 percent of the regions population live remain cut off from assistance. driven curation of top business stories accross 12 industries in the region. Read more: 1986. The choice may be clear : it may be a bitter pill to swallow: do we want to see one Ethiopia, living in a relative peace ,by changing some agreement on the dam or sticking to our current position and face the eternal infighting and the disintegration of the country? Finds attributing them to the Berta date from the 17th to 20th centuries and are mainly located on mountains, hills and in rocky areas that are easy to defend. Try it for free and cancel anytime. In 2021, Egypt and Sudan held joint military exercises to showcase security ties between the two countries in response to the ongoing conflict, the Associated Press reported. I do not think the article addressed why the Gumuz rebel. 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. Besides the country is on the verge of being labeled as a pariah state, due to the conflict it has been ignited with western powers.It could be wise of the government, to step down from its rigid and jingoistic stance and try to accommodate to a certain degree, the interest of these three entities. 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. The region has 20 weredas and two Special Weredas making three Zones of the region. [15][14], Later in the 19th century, Benishangul was affected by the Mahdi uprising. Assosa Zone makes less than half of constituencies, which does not guarantee the establishment of a regional government. But it also unleashed simmering ethnic tensions. There are also Sudanese and Egyptian interests to consider. 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.. Food insecurity is likely to rise by seven per cent across South Sudan in the coming months, compared to last year, according to a new UN report on food security, issued on Wednesday, leading humanitarians to renew their call for more humanitarian and livelihoods assistance to stave off looming hunger and enhance resilience. Finally, Benishangul-Gumuz local government officials have owned up to orchestrating ethnic targeted killings in Metekkel as push back against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds new Prosperity Party, which replaced In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his country should be ready for a war with Egypt over the dispute. 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. Dessalegn, Beza. As "Shanquella", they are already mentioned by Scottish explorer James Bruce in his Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, published in 1790. He added, "Despite the plots and pressure, Ethiopia will fill the GERD reservoir on time. 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. In, James, Wendy. Bambasi has a longitude and latitude of 945N 3444E with an elevation of 1668 meters above sea level. In the chaos that followed, houses were torched and an old man was beheaded outside his house, Mr. Sebsibie said. 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. Climate change, population growth and a regional fight for water resources are all contributing to the risk of water imbalance, experts say. Those who supported the agreement argued that negotiation and compromise are positive by their nature and should be appreciated. Although the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) confirmed that elections in Kamashi and Metekel zone will be conducted on 6 September, it is not clear if that is possible in light of continuing security crisis, mounting fear escalation in neighboring zones, and several people displaced. 12/24/2020. The Gumuz enjoyed administrative rights over Metekkel zone. But hitherto the default position of both the Ethiopian state and opposition forces is violence. Back in 2003 when I was doing fieldwork for my book on inter-ethnic relations in Metekkel, people from the different communities were unanimous in their desire to coexist peacefully. Billene Seyoum, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy, did not respond to questions about the violence. Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs. Secondly, taking military measures against the militias was not also effective in resolving or even minimizing the violence. The Benshangul/Gumuz Region lies on Ethiopia's western border with Sudan, and shares internal borders with Amhara and Oromia Regions. All Gumuz are organized in clans. Metekkel zone is one of three zones in the Benishangul-Gumuz state. Read more: Ethiopia may not have control over the behavior of Egypt and Sudan. On Wednesday, Ethiopia said its military had killed three senior members of Tigrays former ruling party, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, including Seyoum Mesfin, a former foreign minister of Ethiopia. Full Release https://t.co/366QlfLowm@Refugees pic.twitter.com/3gdeWPfObw. The growth in needs here mirrors what we see happening around the globeand we implore the world not to turn its back on this region and, in particular, the extremely vulnerable communities of refugees who have limited access to livelihoods and rely on WFP to survive.. In the absence of effective responses and with such a weak negotiation, popular trust in regional authorities, the command post, and government institutions has been diminished. But if the ethnic federal framework is altered by the Prosperity Party, that would affect the interests of the majority Gumuz community profoundly. Terms of the agreement that seemingly aimed at appeasing the militias included, among others, sharing power with militia members at the wereda, zonal and regional levels, creating job opportunities, offering access to financial support services, and giving urban and rural land to the members of the militias. The threat of famine is very real in Somalia and South Sudan and urgent action is needed now to avoid a catastrophe, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday. 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. [13], According to Negasso Gidada, Oromo penetration into the region began in the mid-18th century. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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). 1985. The remaining four seats belong to the Mao Komo Special Wereda. In the previous census, conducted in 1994, the region's population was reported to be 460,459 of which 233,013 were men and 227,446 were women. With the stalled negotiations on the filing and operation of the GERD, discontented youth might be attracted to seek support from either Sudan or Egypt. 21 The dam, Africa's largest, began generating electricity in February 2022, after 11 years of construction work. They encouraged attacks on non-Gumuz inhabitants who they felt would gain the upper hand in the administration of the Metekkel zone if the current federal arrangement were to be altered. The government and its intelligence sector should reassess the routes and ways through which the militias are getting logistical support. Time is not on Ethiopias side;it is on the side of Egypt and Sudan.I suspect that they may have hands in almost all conflict areas in the country. Alessandro Triulzi, "Asosa", in: Siegbert Uhlig (Hrsg.). As "Shanquella", they are already mentioned by Scottish explorer James Bruce in his Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, published in 1790. [1] Around 67,000 Gumuz also lived in Sudan. Benishangul Gumuz has an estimated area of 51,000 square kilometers and is located in the north-western part of Ethiopia. Villages have been razed to the ground. Join the Middle East's top business and policy professionals to access exclusive PRO insights today. Klausberger, Friedrich. In 2021, Egypt and Sudan held joint military exercises to showcase security ties between the two countries in response to the ongoing conflict, the Associated Press reported. "I believe there will come a point where some level of cooperation has to happen, because there is no other alternative," says Mahmoud. The GERD is expected to make the country a major power exporter in the region. Abiys visit to the area was, unfortunately, followed by an escalation of the conflict and mass killings. [23], (This list is based on information from Worldstatesmen.org, John Young,[24] and the Ethiopian News Agency website[25]). It said it was working with local authorities in the Blue Nile province to respond to the humanitarian needs of the newly arrived, many of whom have arrived in hard-to-reach places along the border. The incumbent parliament has 99 seats. They fired their guns and used swords to attack anyone they came across women, children, elderly people.. Ethiopia's new party is welcome news, but faces big hurdles. All rights reserved. UNHCR and partners move refugees to safety in the Benishangul Gumuz region in Ethiopia. Its main inhabitants are the Gumuz, Oromo, Awi, Amhara, and Shinasha communities. 1980. The Bega (Gumuz) of Wellega: Agriculture and subsistence. Ethiopia is now at a crossroads. With widespread instability and difficulty reaching IDPs, victims of violence are out of arms reach from humanitarian assistancewhether from the regional government or from national and international non-governmental organizations. 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.. Thousands have been killed and buried in mass graves, forced out of their homes, and properties looted and set ablaze. Insecurity has prevented people from accessing their land for next years farming. On April 22, the government-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commissionannounced that an armed group has taken full control of a county in Benishangul-Gumuz, killing and committing acts of violence against civilians, while security forces could not stop it. The national government should safeguard the rights of the indigenous and minority groups who are endangered by mob-minded community members desperate for revenge. 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. An example is that settlers were attracted to a large irrigation project along the Kusa. There was resettlement of highlanders to their area, particularly linked to the availability of land and water. Blood was flooding from his neck, he said. [18] In 1898, Asosa became the political and economic capital. Egypt is not the only country that depends on the river -- it's shared by 11 African countries. Instead, cross-border trade has increased, away from official pathways. We are seeing the beginning of one more potentially big refugee crisis in the world, Haavisto said. Rising sea levels are prompting saltwater intrusions that are not only affecting water supply but also spoiling agricultural farmland, according to water management experts. Returning people to their previous villages without ensuring these preconditions may result in renewed rounds of displacement and devastation. Lifelines: exchange marriage among the Gumuz. Uzar, Henning. What are their hopes and their fears? Analysts say the campaign in Tigray has hampered Mr. Abiys ability to stem clashes like the recent one in Benishangul-Gumuz, because it has forced him to divert soldiers from across Ethiopia to Tigray. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed headed a meetingof Ethiopias National Security Council on April 24 to discuss the developments in Benishangul-Gumuz. Sorghum is used for cooking porridge (nga) and brewing beer (kea). While the world is focusing on the humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia caused by the war between the federal government and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, brutal repetitive attacks have taken place in the Metekkel zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz state in western Ethiopia. Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East, Ethiopian PM accuses Egypt, Sudan of backing unrest in western region. All premium Industry Newsletters - Monitor the Middle East's most important industries. Our Vision is to see Healthy, Productive, and Prosperous Citizens of Ethiopia. They are looked down on and insulted as shankila. Benishangul-Gumuz Regional state, Western Ethiopia Research Article Volume 25 Issue 5 - September 2020 . If you dont influence it now then the circumstances will build so that there are more and more refugees coming.. This is because the Blue Nile, which originates from Ethiopia, supplies up to 80% of the Nile waters. By the middle of the century, the wawi, the descendants of Arabs and Berta, had become the new ruling class. The major road that connects the Metekel Zone and the Assosa Zone was built by the China Construction Company in 2012. Isnt your residence enough for identity and language service purposes? Metekkel zone has been placed under a command post that is directly responsible to the prime minister. . Unseth, Peter. The hydro-electricity dam is now nearly complete and has begun filling to provide direly needed energy supply to Ethiopia. [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. As such, one could go so far as to argue that even bothering to conduct an election in Assosa while postponing elections in Metekel and Kamashi is effectively pointless. The region's capital is Assosa. The Gumuz have traditionally been grouped with other Nilotic peoples living along the Sudanese-Ethiopian border under the collective name Shanqella (Pankhurst 1977). On 21 May, the National Election Board of Ethiopia confirmed that the election, which will take place on 21 June, will not take place in both Metekel and Kamashi zones, indicating that registration of voters did not occur due to security reasons.