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. 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. 1989. By drawing a bad lesson, other groups may also end up emulating similar measures. BDP also expressed frustration over the regional governments willingness to share power with militias while imprisoning and persecuting legally organized political parties in the region. This page was last edited on 12 March 2023, at 23:23. Violence in Benishangul-Gumuz Endangers Ethiopia - Foreign Policy UNHCR and partners have moved refugees from Sudan and South Sudan to safety in Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz region. The Involvement of External Forces behind Metekel Conflict - The Reporter 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. To do so, its necessary to assess the success and failure of the previous strategies attempted by the command post in an effort to end fighting. Ethiopian PM accuses Egypt, Sudan of backing unrest in western region Ethiopia: UNHCR rushing aid to 20,000 refugees fleeing clashes Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Lifelines: exchange marriage among the Gumuz. It was previously known as Region 6. [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. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}1046N 3532E / 10.767N 35.533E / 10.767; 35.533. At the same time as Ashadli Hassan, the regional president, and the command post were signing agreements with unnamed leaders of the Gumuz militia in Gilgel Beles and the administrative center of Metekel Zone, militia members were attacking the Almahal town in Guba Wereda. Clashes had occasionally erupted in the past in the region that is home to various ethnic groups, including Gumuz, Agaws and Shinasas and the Amhara. 1980. Eastern Africa: Millions displaced, amid growing hunger, 'unprecedented In a Twitter thread, he said, It is clear that there is a plot designed to thwart our efforts and undermine our very existence. 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 UN says that areas where 80 percent of the regions population live remain cut off from assistance. The Gumuz have traditionally been grouped with other Nilotic peoples living along the Sudanese-Ethiopian border under the collective name Shanqella (Pankhurst 1977). Eighteen years later, marginalisation, ethnic exclusion, poor governance and the absence of workable democratic mechanisms have significantly affected community relations. Weekly A.I. Studies in Gumuz: Sese phonology and TMA system. [4] On 28 July 2009, the Regional Rural Roads Authority reported that over the previous year almost 600 of the 800 kilometers of local all-weather roads had been upgraded at a cost of 11.5 million birr, and an additional 447 kilometers of roads constructed. 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. We are seeing the beginning of one more potentially big refugee crisis in the world, Haavisto said. In December 2019, about 200 people were killed in the Metekel massacre. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he was sending more soldiers to secure Ethiopia's restive Benishangul-Gumuz area after armed gunmen killed more than 100 civilians. This operation has lasted more than three months, and we do not see the end, Haavisto said. Join over 50,000 readers who access our journalists dedicated newsletters, covering the top political, security, business and tech issues across the region each week.Delivered straight to your inbox. Sudans recent claim to Metekkel and particularly to Guba district has shocked the region. "There'll be an imbalance in terms of less water supply and inflated demand," said Mahmoud. Its main inhabitants are the Gumuz, Oromo, Awi, Amhara, and Shinasha communities. The road has a 365-meter bridge that crosses the Abay. The Gumuz practice shifting cultivation and their staple food is sorghum (Wallmark 1981). [9], There are 2 refugee camps and 1 transit center, housing 36,440 refugees from Sudan and South Sudan, located in Benishangul-Gumuz region. Amharas are the second most populous ethnic group in Ethiopia and they have been targeted repeatedly over the last year. But funding gaps has forced @WFP to make difficult decisions about who receives food and who goes without. It was not until the mid-20th century that Berta also settled in the lowlands, as slave hunts and armed conflict had ended. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. This has received mixed reactions among residents and watchers of the region. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Comparative Komuz grammar. The Benishangul Gumuz Peoples Liberation Movement (BPLM) was Sudan based rebel group built its operational zones in Benishangul Gumuz Region around remote areas of Assosa zone. Ethiopian army 'kills militants' behind village massacre - DW 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. 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. 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. [7], In the Metekel conflict, starting in 2019, Gumuz militia were allegedly involved in attacks against Amhara, Agaw, Oromo and Shinasha civilians.[8][9][10]. 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 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%). The region's capital is Assosa. Ethiopia: Whose Gamble Is Sudan Playing? - allAfrica.com PDF Challenges and Boons of Refugee on the Host Communities - ResearchGate The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a part of a contentious decade-long dispute involving Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Ethiopia: Joint situation assessment mission to Benishangul-Gumuz The Berta rebels instead allied with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which overthrew the Mengistu regime in 1991 with the coalition EPRDF. Egypt is not the only country that depends on the river -- it's shared by 11 African countries. 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. "The sea is rising in the Mediterranean Sea, and the land is sinking in the Nile Delta. Ahmad, Abdussamad H. 1995. I think Marx has correctly identified the weakness of this article. All rights reserved. Why Ethiopia's new leader could be a game changer. 1975. 28 Apr 2023 16:34:36 UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that spiralling costs of food and fuel were adding to the toxic mix. 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. The government and its intelligence sector should reassess the routes and ways through which the militias are getting logistical support. Since then, death from violence been rampant in the whole region. "Center -Periphery Relations in Ethiopian Empire: the Case of Those who supported the agreement argued that negotiation and compromise are positive by their nature and should be appreciated. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed headed a meetingof Ethiopias National Security Council on April 24 to discuss the developments in Benishangul-Gumuz. From Dust to Dollar: Gold mining and trade in the Sudan-Ethiopia The violence might have ethnic undertones but this is a political conflict at heart. The cocktail of factors driving the worsening trend in food security for the whole of eastern Africa, will leave 7.74 million people (62.7 per cent of the population) across the country, facing IPC Phase 3 levels, or worse, of acute food insecurity during the lean season between April and July, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis. For the entire region 174,445 households were counted, which results in an average for the Region of 4.5 persons to a household, with urban households having on average 3.6 and rural households 4.7 people. The risk of domestic violence is rising. Associate Professor of History, Colgate University. In the past decade the number of refugees in eastern Africa has nearly tripled, from1.82 million in 2012 to almost five million todayincluding 300,000 new refugees last year alone. Although Mr. Abiy declared victory in Tigray last month, United Nations officials say the fight continues. 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. A general view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022. This is a good article. Often the Gumuz' lands were allocated to transnational or domestic investors. Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts. However, Ethiopia Insight will correct clear factual errors. A sharp increase in food and fuel costs and conflict-caused displacement are being compounded by a worsening climate crisis.