Ethnicity and Inter-ethnic Relations: the ‘Ethiopian Experiment’ and the case of the Guji and Gedeo By: Asebe Regassa Debelo Thesis submitted for the degree: Master of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tromsø Norway Tromsø, May 2007 Dedication I would like to dedicate this work to the Guji and Gedeo individuals, who lost their lives as victims of politicised ethnicity and its immaterialised promises. Particularly, it is dedicated to the Guji Spiritual leader (Abba Qallu), who was imprisoned in connection to the 1995 conflict and lost his life in jail. i Preface The successful completion of this thesis would be difficult, if not impossible, had it was not been for the commitment and devotion of my Supervisor, Profesor Sidsel Saugestad, in giving me constructive and scholarly feedbacks beginning from the early inception of the project topic all through the drafts of the thesis. I am deeply indebted to Professor Sidsel under whom I began to consider my self as a young researcher. My gratitude goes to the University of Tromsø, Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånnekassen), Centre for Sámi Studies, and Centre for Environment and Development (SEMUT). While the University opened my path to the international academic milieu by giving me admission to the programme, the latter three, particularly Lånnekassen supported me in financing my study. Moreover, great thanks to my academic coordinator, Rachel Issa Djessa, whose highly motivating words and thought provoking comments added a spirit of inspiration while writing my thesis. I am grateful to my colleague and friend, Solomon Hailu, for his unreserved help during my fieldwork and consistent motivating words all through my study in Norway. I am grateful also to my field assistants, particularly Mr Tesfaye Tilahun. Likewise, I am indebted to the Guji and Gedeo elders, and government authorities for their readiness to share with me their invaluable knowledge, without which theoretical arguments would have not been complemented by empirical evidences. My special heartfelt gratitude goes to my Fiancé, Chaltu (Diribe) Feyissa, whose love, advice and care helped me to survive challenges of life during my stay in Tromsø. Her motivating words are engines of strength when I feel tired. Chaltu is exceptionally unique in my life and she is at the centre of my success next to God. My thanks to her are endless. I am very much grateful to and proud of my friends for their unreserved moral supports during my two years’ stay in Norway. Great thanks to Tadesse Jaleta and Tseganesh Higu; Kefyalew Gomoro and Jifare Tolera; Senbete Toma and Roman Gobana; Firew Tarekegn, Dagim Jirata, Abiyot Legesse, Fekadu Adugna, Biniam W/Gebriel, Yacob Cheka, Teketel Adane, Ragassa Ayana, Arega Degife, Megerssa Tolessa, Gashaw Hunde among others. Last but by no means the least, my fellow students at the University of Tromsø are in my memory for their friendly cares without which life in Tromsø would be very difficult. Asebe Regassa Debelo Tromsø, May 2007 ii Table of contents Page Dedication---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i Preface------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ii Acronyms and local terms--------------------------------------------------------------------------------v Abstract----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------vi Chapter One: Introduction-----------------------------------------------------------------------1 1.1 Research Themes and Problem Formulation--------------------------------------------------1 1.1.1 ‘Formal Ethnicism’ and ‘Ethnic Federalism’ as analytical tools--------------------3 1.2 Major Assumptions of the Study and Research Questions----------------------------------3 1.3 Objectives and Significances of the Research------------------------------------------------4 1.4 Methodology--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 1.5 Outline of the thesis------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 Chapter 2: Chapter Two: Theoretical Approaches and Literature Review---------------------------------11 2.1 Conceptualizing ethnicity in African context-----------------------------------------------11 2.2 Theoretical discourses on ethnicity: transcending primordialists/constructivist paradigm? -------------------------------------12 2.3 Ethnic Conflicts in Ethiopia: myth or reality? Contending views from myth to ‘National Question’--------------------------------------16 2.4 Ethnic identity: embedded in the groups or a mere political artefact? ------------------19 2.4.1 The ‘contested’ Amhara ethnicity -----------------------------------------------------20 2.4.2 Ethnic identity as a response to state power – the Tigre case ----------------------22 2.4.3 Ethnic identity rooted in historical distinctiveness – the Oromo-------------------23 2.5 The Gada System -------------------------------------------------------------------------------24 2.6 The ‘National Question’ and Ethnic Policy in Ethiopia: The Root to ‘Ethnic Federalism’--------------------------------------------------------------27 2.6.1 An Empire under ethnic hegemony ---------------------------------------------------28 2.6.2 The Ethiopian Experiment of ‘Ethnic Federalism’ ---------------------------------29 2.6.3 ‘Formal Ethnicism’: a viable alliance or divorce with democracy? --------------35 Chapter Three: Setting the Context of the Study--------------------------------37 3.1 The Guji -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------37 3.1.1 The People--------------------------------------------------------------------------------37 3.1.2 Guji Social Organization: Secular and Spiritual World of the Gada --------------------------------------------38 3.1.3 Economic transformation of the Alabdu Guji ---------------------------------------41 3.1.4 Guji-state relation after incorporation-------------------------------------------------42 3.2. The Gedeo---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------43 3.2.1 Gedeo myth of origin: the group’s self-ascription ----------------------------------43 3.2.2 Incorporation of the Gedeo into Ethiopian Empire----------------------------------44 3.2.3 Gedeo-state relation and their down-slope expansion: -----------------------------46 3.2.4 Gedeo social organization and some cultural practises-----------------------------49 3.2.5 Some changes in Gedeo social life-----------------------------------------------------51 iii Chapter Four: - Guji-Gedeo Relation: Ethnic dichotomies and complementarities -----------------------------------------------------------------------53 Introduction: what tied these groups together? ------------------------------------------------------53 4.1 Deconstructing the myth of common ancestry: ---------------------------------------------54 4.2. Economic interdependence--------------------------------------------------------------------58 4.3 Cultural practices as inter-ethnic connections and disjuncture----------------------------61 4.3.1. The Gada systems and the Qallu institution ----------------------------------------61 4.3.2. Inter-ethnic marriage-------------------------------------------------------------------62 4.3.3. The ‘myth of curse’ and the Gondoro tradition: belief as instrument of inter-ethnic cohesion --------------------------------------64 4.4. Ethnic self-image and image of the ‘other’ -------------------------------------------------68 4.5. Summing up: linking economic and cultural determinants to ethnic identity---------------------------70 Chapter Five: The Guji-Gedeo Conflicts of 1995 and 1998: Questions of territorial integrity and self-government------------------------------73 5.1 Background of the conflicts ------------------------------------------------------------------73 5.2 The contentious referendum as a triggering factor for the 1995 conflict ---------------75 5.3 The 1998 conflict -------------------------------------------------------------------------------80 5.4 The Post Conflict Relations -------------------------------------------------------------------83 Chapter Six: National Discourse on Ethnicity and Local Inter-ethnic Relations in Ethiopia-------------------------------------87 6.1 Ethnicity in the Contemporary Political Context of Ethiopia-----------------------------87 6.2 The Convergence between Ethnicity and Indigenousness in African Context------------------------------------------------------------------------------91 6.3 ‘Formal Ethnicism’ and Inter-ethnic Relations ---------------------------------------------93 6.4 Reassessing Guji-Gedeo conflict--------------------------------------------------------------96 6.4.1 Beyond resource competition-----------------------------------------------------------96 6.4.2 Local Reality in the face of heightened ethnic politics in Ethiopia ---------------97 Chapter 7: Conclusion---------------------------------------------------------------100 7.1 Contextualizing ethnicity beyond academic discourse ----------------------------------100 7.2 Does ethnic dichotomy perpetuate conflict? ----------------------------------------------101 7.3 Which way forward? -----------------------------------------------------------------------103 References----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------105