Interaction and Conflict Among the Nuer and Anuak Communities
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Bogale Aligaiz Agalu, AJHC, 2020; 3:16 Research Article AJHC 2020,3:16 American Journal of History and Culture (ISSN:2637-4919) Interaction and Conflict among the Nuer and Anuak communities Bogale Aligaiz Agalu Department of History, Injibara ABSTRACT Gambella regional state is located in the southwestern Ethiopia *Correspondence to Author: with diverse ethnic groups. From the ethnic groups, Anuak and Bogale Aligaiz Agalu Nuer are dominant in the region. Both interacted in marriage, Department of History, Injibara support each other in the time of famine as well as war and fol- lowed traditional religion. Their interaction violated by conflicts in the second half 19th century. The conflict caused by the ques- How to cite this article: tion of natural resources, Parliamentary seats and curriculum Bogale Aligaiz Agalu.Interaction and media of instruction in school. This fight caused the death of and Conflict among the Nuer and human beings and destruction of material properties on the both Anuak communities. American ethnic groups. Hostilities and conflicts between them had no Journal of History and Culture, earned solution due to outbreak of First World War. 2020,3:16. Keywords: Interaction, Conflict, Gambella eSciPub LLC, Houston, TX USA. Website: https://escipub.com/ AJHC: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-history-and-culture/ 1 Bogale Aligaiz Agalu, AJHC, 2020; 3:16 Introduction cattle people par excellence in Africa and the world. The cattle pervade is the Nuer economic, The State of Gambella is situated in the social and spiritual life (Ibid: 52).The Nuer Southwestern part of Ethiopia bordering with people are largely livestock dependent and are Benishangul Gumuz to the north, Oromo region mostly found in Akobo Jikawo and parts of Itang to the west, the Southern people’s regional state woreda. During rainy seasons, Akobo and to the south and the newly birth republic of South Jikawo became flooded and as result, they Sudan to the west. migrate to the highland areas with their cattle Like other parts of Ethiopia, Gambella regional until the river banks reed (Abraham, 2002:2). state is inhabited by diverse ethnics such as On the other hand, the Anuaks are found on the Anuak, Mezenge, opuo, Kumo, Nuer, Olam, Akobo and Pibor rivers in the Sudan (Bender, Dhwok, Bula Maw and Murle. Among these 1975:47). It was believed that, Anuaks came into ethnic groups, the Nuer and Anuaks are the Ethiopia from the Nile valley during the process dominant people in the region. Their language of Nilotic expansion. The Anuaks are also belongs to Nilo-Saharan super family. thought to have come from the so called “cradle Agro-ecologically, the Gambella is land of the Nilotes” or from further south east predominantly lowland (kola) with a few near Lake Rudolf and Victoria in Kenya and midlands (wena Dega). The economy of the Uganda (Abraham, 2002:2). Unlike Nuers, they region is based on agriculture, semi-pastoralists, are mainly agricultural dependent people with bee keeping and fishing. This paper lays out the livestock, fishing and hunting as their social, economic, cultural and political supplementary income sources (Ibid: 3). interaction and conflict among Nuer and Anuak Methodology in the region. For a long period of time, the relation between Anuaks and Nuers are This research was conducted based on the characterized by violent actions. This ethnic qualitative approach. Both primary and disturbance was later precipitated by the state secondary sources of data are utilized. The key sponsored resettlement program of the Derg informants and document analysis are included. since 1980’s. The ethnic conflict caused the Unstructured interviews were carried out with death of human beings and destruction of intention of collecting the required data. Elders material properties. of Nuer and Anuaks are interviewed in depth. Published and unpublished sources are cross- Historical Context of Anuak and Nuers checked with responses of key informants. The The Nuer and Anuaks were believed to be collected data from key informant interview and originated from outside Ethiopia. Nuers live written sources were critically analyzed, mostly in Southern Sudan, in the east upper Nile narrative and summarized in document Province with extending up to the sabot across investigation methodology. the Ethiopia border. The center of the Nuer area Results and Discussion is around Lake No. They were migrated to Ethiopia from southern Sudan (Bender, Likewise other part of Ethiopia, Gambella 1975:51). Nuer villages are scattered along the regional state is populated by various ethnic Baro River intermingled with the Anuak, in groups. The Anuak and Nuers is the dominant western most of Illubabor. people in the region from the others. Their language belongs to the same super family, Nilo- The Nuer people have black skin color and their Saharan .They interact in marriage, supporting height is too long. They are believed to have each other in famine, disease as well as war and linkage with the Dinke people in terms of culture. followed the traditional As Bender stated, the Nuer are known as religion(Tadesse,2009:6). But, in the mid 1980’s “Abigar” in the Amharic. They are noted as the AJHC: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-history-and-culture/ 2 Bogale Aligaiz Agalu, AJHC, 2020; 3:16 has witnessed conflict between Anauk and extended to the level of village community (Ibid: Nuers(Dereje,2009:642). This paper 219-238). emphasized the interaction and conflict among The Anuaks and Nuer were supporting each Nuer and Anuak communities in the Gambella other in time of famine, disease as well as war. region, southwest Ethiopia. When the Anuak people were invaded by the Socio-economic and Political Aspects of neighboring Oromo, the Nuer were supporting Anuak and Nuers them by providing shelter, in turn, the Anuaks The people of Gambella in general do not inherit introduced the Nuer to ivory trade with the monoculture as the region composes of different Oromo according Meckleberg. Anuak villages ethnic groups each of which has its own dialect such as Pinymoo and Imedho had alliances with and way of life. As result, the social, economic, villages of Nuer, Canngac and Puldeng political and cultural varied from tribe to tribe. respectively. When the two villages fought, Although some similarities existed especially in Canngac were supplying guns to Pinymmo and marriage could be identified between the Anuak Puldeng did the same thing to and Nuer tribes. The Anuak-Nuer of Sobat, Baro Imedho(“Politicization” Vol.2:806). and Pibor lived in varying degrees of cooperation According to informants, large numbers of and interaction (Gach, Pual, Jal). The Nuer Anuak and Nuers have been followed traditional married Anuak girls, Anuak boys were given religion, small numbers accepted Christianity. Nuer initiation marks on their skin; the Anuak Since Amharic is declared as the official lived in Nuer villages; milk and grain were language of the Coptic Church, the bible exchanged, which benefited both groups parched and written by mother tongue language, (Tadesse, 2009:6). Back in tradition, marriage in it would help them to share experiences while Anuak and Nuer has been usually negotiated attending church services (Gach, Pual, Jal). In outside the bride and glooms knowledge by their case of traditional religion, the Anuak have families and sometimes can involve the use of normally had a kind attitude towards the sprits force. Marriage in both tribes involves the dowry and witch doctors. They have been considered which is paid to the bird’s family (Lam, Ruach, as the only people to whom to go in the case of Jal). Because of development and civilization sickness. The witch doctors might be a Nuer which is currently taking place, there has been ethnic group who might come to help the sick minimize dowry paying to the girl’s family. Men people in Anuak villages and other ethnic groups and women in both tribes have had the (Bender, 1975:194-195). They believed the opportunity to choose each other whom they traditional animalist sprit known as Gowk. Trees want to marry. Also, both tribes practices played an important part in their religion and polygamy like the other tribes lived in the even today there are villages which include Gambella region (Jal, Gach, Paul). “holy” trees. Traditionally, cattle play an The villages of Anuak and Nuer had bond of important part in Nuer religion and ritual. Cows Partnership (Kurimoto, 2002:219-238). In the dry are dedicated to the spirits of the owner’s season, the Nuer used to come with their cattle lineages and any personal spirits that may have in search of grasslands on the banks of the Baro possessed them at any time (Evans-Pritchard, River while their permanent villages were on the 1940:1-13). They linked with their ancestor Sudanese side. The Nuer men would able to spirits by throwing ashes along the backs of build up his relationship by giving goat to the oxen or cows. Nothing ceremony is complete Anuak men. In return, the Anuak men would give without such a sacrifice. They worship a some tobacco. The Nuer might also ask a piece supreme being called “Kwoth” who was various of land for cultivation or settlement. This Anuak- manifestations with which claim to have Nuer bond partnership at the individual could be personal relationships (Ibid: 1-13). AJHC: https://escipub.com/american-journal-of-history-and-culture/ 3 Bogale Aligaiz Agalu, AJHC, 2020; 3:16 Anuak and Nuer are differed in such way. The This concerned with long term factors underlying Eastern parts of Anuak are basically sedentary internal conflicts have different causes, take agriculturalists (Shumet, 1985:132). In dry different shape in different countries as well as season, fishing on the Baro and Akobo River regions and often lead population displacement.