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 Grassroots Conflict Assessment of the Somali Region, Ethiopia
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Ethiopia's Somali Region is undergoing a gradual but important transition that has multiple implications concerning violent grassroots conflict (defined, in this context, as conflict largely driven by local factors, as opposed to macro-political factors). Home to more than four million people, the vast majority of who are ethnically Somali and Somali-speaking, the region's inhabitants are undergoing a fundamental shift in their livelihoods, started about two decades ago, that affects many facets of life. This shift is driven by multiple factors and results in a measured move away from the traditional nomadic pastoralist way of life towards a foundation of agro-pastoralist activities and sedentary farming.
There are many implications of this shift at multiple levels of society; this report focuses on the implications for community-based conflict and argues that the shift brings with it new drivers of conflict in addition to conventional drivers. Aggravating the situation is the recent drought professed by some to be the worst in the region's history.
With this shift come new experiences and expectations among Ethio-Somalis. Over the past decade they have increasingly been exposed to some of the hallmarks of modernity with which they had limited previous contact, such as education, "development" (often closely associated with infrastructure development), and other government services. In turn, this raises Ethio- Somalis' expectations of how they can live and what they are entitled to receive. In interviews it is striking that the vast majority of sedentary Ethio-Somalis, though they were compelled to abandon the nomadic lifestyle due to a combination of largely external factors, express a desire to remain sedentary even if conditions allow for a return to purely pastoralist activities.
Consequently, there exist several potential drivers of grassroots conflict that are not part of the traditional conflict paradigm in the region:
- Land enclosures � Agro-pastoralists and farmers are increasingly demarcating their land in an effort to take ownership of certain plots and to keep out grazing herds. Associated with this is increased competition over land in close proximity to rivers and water points that is consequently easier to irrigate.
- Youth � More and more youth are leaving rural communities for urban centers, such as Jijiga and Gode, in search of economic opportunity. That opportunity is extremely limited, producing a pool of disillusioned youth with few future prospects who are vulnerable to recruitment to various groups, including extremist groups.
- Environmental degradation for profit � An example of such degradation involves charcoal. During the recent drought there is evidence of increased charcoal production in certain zones, which sets up a potential conflict between charcoal producers, who must destroy trees for their product and reap very small profits, and people with an
interest in maintaining the environment, including pastoralists.
- Unreliable information and rumor � The flow of information in the region is limited and inconsistent and much of the information unreliable. Rumors can be quite influential and incendiary in such environments and, whether true or not, can provide a trigger for conflict.
These potential drivers of conflict are exacerbated by: the scarcity of resources; often poor relations between Ethio-Somalis and the federal government in Addis Ababa, as well as "highlanders" (non-Somalis) in general; and the clan system on which Somali society is based, which can be both a stabilizing and destabilizing force. There exists a healthy supply of both "positive social capital" (relations between individuals and communities that act as a bulwark against conflict, underpinned by the Xeer � customary law � that is the bedrock of Somali society) and "negative social capital" (a long history of violence and strife between individuals and communities that poisons contemporary relations). All of this sets up a potential clash between old and new traditions.
These observations lead to several recommendations for both CHF's ongoing programming and future initiatives in the region, described in further detail later. They include:
- constructively engage youth in education, vocational training and leadership development programs;
- work to strengthen traditional conflict management mechanisms among clans, adapt them to new challenges, and carve out an enhanced role for women;
- generate alternative income-generating opportunities for charcoal producers while working to mend rifts they have created; and
- develop locally-focused, reliable mass communication mechanisms that limit rumor and innuendo.
I. Purpose of the Research
CHF International commissioned a study of grassroots conflict in Ethiopia's Somali Region for two reasons. First, in April 2006, CHF International, in partnership with Al-Nejah Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development Organization (ARRDO), began an emergency water and sanitation program (known as the Safe Water and Improved Sanitation in Somali Region (SWISS) program) in the Somali Region in the Gode and Afder Zones, in response to the substantial drought experienced in the region. The program seeks to restore shallow wells while improving sanitation habits in communities where disease is widespread and deadly. When implementing any program like this that brings resources to communities it is critical to adhere to the "Do No Harm" principle � in other words, resources provided should not be the source or trigger of conflict. Especially in Somali society, with its foundation in the clan system and sometimes fierce rivalries between clans, outside organizations must learn about local culture and develop strategies for minimizing unintended consequences of their work. In order to avoid those unintended consequences, a grounded understanding of the potential drivers of instability is required.
The second purpose of this research is to develop such an understanding. CHF International has a long history of working to manage and mitigate conflict around the world and continues to expand its capacity in this area. The organization elected to invest in deepening its understanding of the sources of grassroots conflict in the Somali Region, with a view towards programming that may directly address those sources in the near future. Given the chronic poverty in the region, any conflict can rapidly escalate and prove widely destructive. Furthermore, there is a history of conflict in the region that suggests multiple underlying causes unlikely to dissipate if not explicitly addressed. This report is an initial effort to identify and examine those underlying causes.
Full report (pdf* format - 494 KB) Grassroots Conflict Assessment of the Somali Region, Ethiopia |
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