People from neighboring weredas of Agalo Meti and Yaso, primarily those representing non-Gumuz ethnic groups, have left their villages in fear of a similar scenario. 21 The dam, Africa's largest, began generating electricity in February 2022, after 11 years of construction work. La Trib dei Gumus. UNHCR and partners move refugees to safety in the Benishangul Gumuz region in Ethiopia. Bambasi has a longitude and latitude of 945N 3444E with an elevation of 1668 meters above sea level. On April 19, Ahmed said that Ethiopia will fill the GERD reservoir in July and August, despite objections from the two downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan. As time passes, the Gumuz militias are strengthening their holdings and capacity, expanding and imposing their presence into Kamashi and Assosa zones. 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. From Dust to Dollar: Gold mining and trade in the Sudan-Ethiopia 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. It was not until the mid-20th century that Berta also settled in the lowlands, as slave hunts and armed conflict had ended. Survivors of a massacre in December in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. But funding gaps has forced @WFP to make difficult decisions about who receives food and who goes without. About 90% of Egypt's population lives along the Nile River, with the waterway providing nearly all Egyptians with drinking water. Assosa Zone makes less than half of constituencies, which does not guarantee the establishment of a regional government. The massacre in Benishangul-Gumuz region, along the border with Sudan, is the latest challenge to the regime of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in 2018 promising to unite Ethiopia but has struggled to contain a growing wave of ethnic violence. Benishangul-Gumz Regional Health Bureau; Benishangul-Gumz Regional Health Bureau. . There have been repeated episodes of intercommunal violence over the years. 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. 03 Untangling Ethiopia and Sudan's shared cross-border issues [14][20], Resistance to the Mengistu regime here came mainly from the Berta. The Gumuz have traditionally been grouped with other Nilotic peoples living along the Sudanese-Ethiopian border under the collective name Shanqella (Pankhurst 1977). Putting an immediate and lasting end to violence is the first step towards assessing and addressing the heavy impact of unconstrained fighting. Ethnic targeting means minorities are not able to move freely in the region, nor in neighboring towns in the Amhara region. 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 national government should safeguard the rights of the indigenous and minority groups who are endangered by mob-minded community members desperate for revenge. As a result, the militias are strengthening their holdings and bargaining power. These interest groups include actors from the neighbouring Amhara state who claim ownership of the Metekkel zone. In several parts of the Gumuz area, the settlers' economy dominated by 2018. A general view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022. UNHCR, partners rush to aid thousands of refugees in Benishangul Gumuz James, Wendy. An example is that settlers were attracted to a large irrigation project along the Kusa. 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. [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]. 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? People are not receiving the humanitarian support they need and the attention they deserve. Regardless, some efforts were tried and they all failed. Separately, a European Union envoy warned the crisis in Tigray appears out of control, after visiting Ethiopia on behalf of the bloc. It has been over six months since more than 207 people were massacred in a single day on 24 December 2020 in Bakuji, a small kebele in Bullen Wereda. Awadi denied any Egyptian involvement in the recent violence in the Benishangul-Gumuz region. Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East, Ethiopian PM accuses Egypt, Sudan of backing unrest in western region. 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. Currently, the regional government has some control in towns where administrative offices are located, but not much beyond that. Control of the area must be regained. Often the Gumuz' lands were allocated to transnational or domestic investors. [4] Background [ edit] Ethnic tensions [ edit] ", Ethiopia: Tackling environmental challenges with trees, "Benishangul Gumuz State Council appoints Ahmed Nasir as chief of state", Map of Benishangul-Gumuz Region at UN-OCHA, Map of Benishangul-Gumuz Region at DPPA of Ethiopia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benishangul-Gumuz_Region&oldid=1151047051, This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 15:41. That means the election will only take place in Benishangul-Gumuzs Assosa Zone. 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 GERD is expected to make the country a major power exporter in the region. Associate Professor of History, Colgate University. Their claim to the entire Metekkel zone has fuelled Gumuz militia attacks on non-Gumuz residents. The Abay River (Blue Nile) divides Benishangul-Gumuz, and there was no bridge crossing it until 2012. . Ethiopia's new party is welcome news, but faces big hurdles. Finally, the regional government felt obliged to engage in a dialogue and negotiation with the Gumuz militia. The area comprising Benishangul-Gumuz formally became part of Ethiopia under the terms of a Nile-focused 1902 treaty signed by Emperor Menelik II with Great Britain, which ruled Sudan. There are also competing interests from actors in Sudan and Egypt who are opposed to the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Metekkel, and local elements who are unhappy with the formation of Ethiopias new ruling Prosperity Party. Conditions for travel within zones varies, but is often poor and subject to disruption by the rainy season. Lifelines: exchange marriage among the Gumuz. Moussa said that the Benishangul-Gumuz region was part of Sudan in the past, and that there is an Egyptian-Sudanese escalation in light of Ethiopias intransigence in the GERD file. In a statement on 1 May, the government of Sudan claimed Benishangul-Gumuz as potentially its territorya provocation which the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly condemned. Although Mr. Abiy declared victory in Tigray last month, United Nations officials say the fight continues. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. Gumuz people - Wikipedia 21 Luxury goods such as textiles and glass beads were imported via Sudan. Dessalegn, Beza. As President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier, all options are open in preserving Egypt's right to the Nile waters, and the waters of the Nile River are ared line for the Egyptians., Sisi had warned April 7, No one can take a single drop of water from Egypt [and] all options are open., On March 30, Sisi said during a press conference, We are not threatening anyone, but no one can take a drop of water from Egypt [or] the region would witness a state of instability that no one can imagine., Awadi said, Ethiopia insists on the second filling of the GERD reservoir even before a binding legal agreement with Egypt and Sudan is reached. Receive daily updates directly in your inbox -, Eastern Africa: Millions displaced, amid growing hunger, unprecedented needs, FAO ramps up support to Sudan farmers as starvation threat grows in East Africa, Hunger still rising across East Africa, says new UN-backed report, Battle not yet over against locust invasions in East Africa and Yemen, Humanitarians urge action to avert famine in Somalia and South Sudan, Sub-Saharan Africa under threat from multiple humanitarian crises. It borders the Amhara and Oromia states, and Sudan. The EU has joined the United States in demanding Eritrean troops withdraw. Unseth, Peter. 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. Benishangul Gumuz has an estimated area of 51,000 square kilometers and is located in the north-western part of 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. Ethiopia started filling the dam, which is over 70% complete, in July 2020 and is getting ready for the second filling in July 2021. Sudan: Blue Nile State Profile (Updated March 2022) - Sudan The regional government announced the signing of an agreement with the militia group on 18 May in Gilgel Beles town. By the middle of the century, the wawi, the descendants of Arabs and Berta, had become the new ruling class. This claim gained momentum after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assumed power in April 2018. The Amhara regional state and Amhara activists say that Metekkel was forcibly included under the Benishangul-Gumuz regional state after the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front took power in 1991. Benishangul Gumuz regional authorities have shown solidarity with refugees and identified a new temporary site with capacity to accommodate 20,000 people. In the end, the violence in western Ethiopia is a confluence of local, regional, national and, possibly, foreign interests. Studies in Gumuz: Sese phonology and TMA system. 2023 Al-Monitor, LLC. Guba is the closest district to Sudan. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The region's capital is Assosa. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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.. It hosts more than 70,000 refugees from those countries, as well as more than a half-million Ethiopians internally displaced by. It needs to change. Slavery did not disappear in Ethiopia until the 1940s. The Gumuz of the Lowlands of Western Gojjam: The frontier in History 1900-1935. With an estimated area of 49,289.46 square kilometers, this Region has an estimated density of 15.91 people per square kilometer. They said that many of the victims were ethnic Amharas and Agaws, who are a minority in that region. He added, "Despite the plots and pressure, Ethiopia will fill the GERD reservoir on time. Our Vision is to see Healthy, Productive, and Prosperous Citizens of Ethiopia. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a massive hydropower plant on the River Nile that neighbors Sudan and Egypt, as the dam started to produce electricity, Feb. 19, 2022, in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. The road has a 365-meter bridge that crosses the Abay. The violence might have ethnic undertones but this is a political conflict at heart. Still, the killings should have been condemned in the strongest terms possible, and the agreement should have included an attempt to do so. The Gumuz also hunt wild animals, such as duikers and warthogs, and gather honey, wild fruits, roots and seeds. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government has provided scant information on recent violence in Benishangul-Gumuz, particularly in Metekel zone, where Debate is located. The dust of the violence in Metekel has not yet settled and threatens to spread into neighboring zones, raising fears of escalating conflict. 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. Communities have been torn apart. [14], Under the regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam, who ruled Ethiopia from 1974, some 250,000 drought- and famine-stricken peasants from the highlandsmostly Amharas from Wollo provincewere relocated to Benishangul-Gumuz from 1979 and especially in the mid-1980s. Benishangul -Gumuz. The government and its intelligence sector should reassess the routes and ways through which the militias are getting logistical support. Ethiopia: UNHCR rushing aid to 20,000 refugees fleeing clashes What are their hopes and their fears? [16], The area lay as a "buffer zone" or "no man's land" between southern Sennar and Damot in the highlands. 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. [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. In. 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. But it also unleashed simmering ethnic tensions. In a statement on 1 May, the government of Sudan claimed Benishangul-Gumuz as potentially its territorya provocation which the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly condemned. [13] Besides slaves, gold was traditionally an important export of Benishangul. Ethiopian army 'kills militants' behind village massacre - DW 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. The Amhara claim should be handled through constitutional means; not by force. Several investors previously engaged in commercial farming where a variety of cash cropslike seasame and groundnutswere produced for export. Immediately following the meeting, Ahmed issued a statement accusing foreign parties, in reference to Egypt, of causing chaos and instability in the country. 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. The Indigenous World 2023: Ethiopia - Academia.edu 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. It is the administrative center of Bambasi woreda . The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a part of a contentious decade-long dispute involving Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. The most affected states are Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, Lakes, Eastern Equatoria (Kapoeta East) and Warrap - more than 80 per cent of those food insecure. Metekkel residents, including the majority Gumuz community, are opposed to Amhara occupation. What is the impact of the expected great economic benefits of the GERD on peoples behavior now? Abiys visit to the area was, unfortunately, followed by an escalation of the conflict and mass killings. This has received mixed reactions among residents and watchers of the region. Severe climate shocks Globally, floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and intense, severely. Benishangul-Gumuz Region - Wikipedia Metekkel zone is one of three zones in the Benishangul-Gumuz state. Negotiations over an agreement between the three nations over the filling of the dam have stalled recently. Following the adoption of the 1995 constitution, the region was created from the westernmost portion of the Gojjam province (the part north of the Abay River), and the northwestern portion of the Welega Province (the part south of the Abay). Like other regions in Ethiopia, Benishangul-Gumuz is subdivided into administrative zones. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Read more: Haavisto also warned that Sudan is struggling to cope with the influx of people fleeing the fighting and said it risked creating a major refugee crisis. Photo: Benishangul Gumuz communication bureau Addis Abeba - A peace and development conference between senior officials of Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz region and Sudan's Blue Nile state has started today in Ad-Damazin city, the capital city of Sudan's Blue Nile state. [10], Religion in Benishangul-Gumuz Region (2007)[11]. All the cooking and brewing is carried out in earthen pots, which are made by women. 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. [13], According to Negasso Gidada, Oromo penetration into the region began in the mid-18th century. In. It is worrying indeed that the attention of national and international actors is turned almost exclusively to the war in Tigray. 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. Unseth, Peter. UNHCR, COR and partners are also responding to their needs. 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. [citation needed] The Gumuz number around 200,000 individuals. All rights reserved. An aerial view of the Nile is seen during World Water Day in Cairo, March 22, 2023. 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. 1939-40. Muferiat Kemal, Ethiopias minister of peace, now says that the area has become a juncture for different interest groups.. "Experimenting with Non-Territorial Autonomy: Indigenous Councils in Ethiopia". Read more: News: Benishangul Gumuz, Blue Nile States hold peace and security The OLF tried to incorporate the local population as "black Oromo", but met with little support. At least 80 people were killed on Tuesday when unidentified gunmen stormed through a village in western Ethiopia in the latest of a series of ethnically driven massacres in the area, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and witnesses said on Wednesday. January 6, 2021, 4:10 AM On Dec. 22, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the vast lowland territory of Metekel in Ethiopia's far western region of Benishangul-Gumuz, the so-called. 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. It seems a terrible idea. Billene Seyoum, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy, did not respond to questions about the violence. Egypt's population of 109 million is projected to grow significantly in decades, further straining the demand for water in the region. The massacre in Benishangul-Gumuz region, along the border with Sudan, is the latest challenge to the regime of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in 2018 promising to unite. Ahmed said that these parties seek to plunge the country into chaos. With national and international attention being pulled in many directionsmost notably towards war in Tigraythe problems of Benishangul-Gumuz are being eclipsed. Promoting income-generating opportunities in the border area of - IGAD The river provides nearly all Egyptians with drinking water. 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. Previously one had to travel through Wollega and Gojjam in the neighboring regions of Oromia and Amhara, a distance of 1,250 kilometers, but it is now around 378 kilometers on the new road and bridge. The command post also tried to deter the militias by declaring that it would make door-to-door hunts and take all necessary measures to apprehend militia members. Violence Displaces Sudanese, South Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopia - VOA Data-driven analysis of latest market trends. Indeed, on 10 June, there was a report of an attack by militias in Oda Bulidigilu Wereda which is located in Assosa Zone. CAIRO Violence has been ongoing in Ethiopia's western region of Benishangul-Gumuz where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is located, with Ethiopiaannouncing April 26 that more than 200 people were killed and thousands were displaced in the ongoing clashes between the government forces and armed groups. 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. Before picking a side, it is important to put the agreement between the militias and the regional government into perspective. 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. Main languages are the Berta (25.15%), Amharic (22.46%), Gumuz (20.59%), Oromo (17.69%), Shinasha (4.58%) and Awngi (4.01%). The town is named after the highest point in the Asosa Zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Mount Bambasi. 1975. This indicated an inability of the government to provide security and maintain law and order in the region. According to the regions constitution, the Benishangul-Gumuz State Council should have less than 100 seats. The Ethiopian Prime Minister called out his neighbors for fueling the recent round of violence in Ethiopia's western Benishangul-Gumuz region where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is located. I Preniloti: unarcaica provincia culturale in Africa. 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. [19] Until the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in the mid-1930s, the area supplied gold and slaves to the central government on a large scale. 1986. 4 February 2022 Humanitarian Aid 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. This was followed by the killing of over 80 people in a place called Daleti in Metekel Zone. As "Shanquella", they are already mentioned by Scottish explorer James Bruce in his Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, published in 1790. Meanwhile, the security response in Benishangul-Gumuz is not showing any capability of de-escalation. Weekly A.I. Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Ati said in a statement April 18 that Cairo submitted15 different proposals for the filling and operation of the GERD over the past years, so as to meet the Ethiopian demands without causing any damage to Egypt and Sudan. The number of hungry people in the Sahel and West Africa hasquadrupledover the last three years, currently reaching41 million, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Friday. Those who supported the agreement argued that negotiation and compromise are positive by their nature and should be appreciated. 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. Consideration must be given to minority rights in order to reconcile important democratic principles with realities on the ground. The spiraling situation in Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region The Involvement of External Forces behind Metekel Conflict - The Reporter Feuds between clans are common and they are usually solved by means of an institution of conflict resolution, called mangema or michu[3] depending on the region. Relatively low-lying but with an annual rainfall in excess of 1,000mm, this remote and poorly developed area . Benshangul/Gumuz Region/ - Ethiopia Peace Observatory 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%). 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. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed headed a meetingof Ethiopias National Security Council on April 24 to discuss the developments in Benishangul-Gumuz. There are several people, including children, who have lost their whole family due to the conflict. Rocket fire from Gaza after Palestinian hunger striker dies, At 75, Israeli society faces sharpening divisions, 75 years after the Nakba, Palestinians still long for return, Former Sudan advisor to US government Cameron Hudson says US sanctions on Sudan's rival generals could have averted conflict. While the Blue Nile-Benishangul-Gumuz borderland is not free from conflict, it provides an example of . 1989. Finally, Benishangul-Gumuz local government officials have owned up to orchestrating ethnic targeted killings in Metekkel as push back against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's new Prosperity Party,.