Duration | 1994— present |
---|---|
Location | Konso, Ethiopia![]() |
Coordinates | 5°20′25″N 37°26′20″E / 5.3404°N 37.4388°E |
Type | Ethnic violence
|
Theme | Ongoing ethnic violence |
Cause | Land drawn along ethnic lines (Ethnic Federalism) |
Motive | Dispute over administrative land, leadership and territory |
Participants | Various militants from ![]() ![]() |
Deaths | Ongoing. 83+ killed; 57+ injured |
The conflict in Konso is part of a series of ethnic-based violence in Ethiopia. UN OCHA reported that its Early warning department of SNNPR categorized Konso as a priority hot spot area. Repeated conflict and the issue of adverse weather exacerbated the existing humanitarian crisis in the Zone.[1] Interpersonal ethnic violence are deepening into serious human rights violations and suffering, with the ethnic federalism system that drew formal administrative divisions with regional boundaries falling along ethnic lines.[2][3]
Background and events of the Konso conflict
[edit]This is the background for some southern ethnic habitation since the 1990s and the timeline of the Konso conflict.
Period | Event and land administration | Description | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Pre-1994 | Independent Woredas | Amaro, Burji, Derashe, Konso, and Alle | Prior to the 1994 ethnic federalism[4] |
During and pre-EPRDF | Special Woreda with Semi-autonomous administrative setup | Amaro, Burji, Derashe, and Konso. Special Woredas directly report to SNNR (not to Zone) | During and pre-EPRDF[4] |
During and pre-EPRDF | Minorities in Konso and Derashe Special Woredas | Alle (also known as Dhobasse in Derashe, or Gewada in Konso) | During and pre-ERDF[4] |
During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Derashe Special Woreda | Dirasha, Mossiye, Masholle and Kussume, and the Alle (Dhobasse) as minority | During and pre-EPRDF[4] |
During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Konso Special Woreda | Majority Konso, and Gewada (Alle) as minority | During and pre-EPRDF[4] |
During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Amaro Special Woreda | the Kore ethnic group | During and pre-EPRDF[4] |
During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Burji Special Woreda | the Burji ethnic group | post-1994[4] |
During EPRDF with ethnic federalism | Alle minority sought independence | The Alle minority wanted to pursue its own Special Woreda | post-1994[4] |
During EPRDF | Start of dispute with removal of Special Woredas as a temporary solution | Formation of Segan Area People's Zone by the ruling SNNPR and the regional party, SEPDM | 28 March 2011[4] |
During EPRDF | The Segan Area Zone incorporated various ethnic groups from various Woredas, including Alle | Alle, Burji, Dirasha, Konso (Xonsita), Kore, Kusumie, Mashole and Moseye, and others (Oromo, Welayta, Amhara, Gurage) | post-1994[4] |
During EPRDF | Konso protest and imprisonment | Resistance by the Konso population and movement to establish Konso Zone. Other issues: dispute over a decision to keep Gumade as Zone capital city City of Segan's (Gumade) versus the Konsos’ city (Karat) | 2016 [5][4][6][7] |
post-EPRDF | Release of the Konso prisoners | Abiy Ahmed announced the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia | 2018[4] |
post-EPRDF | Dissociation from the Segan Zone | Konso and Ale's groups split from Segan Zone | November 2018[4] |
post-EPRDF | Konso became an independent Zone | Violence triggered due to administrative border and leadership disputes. 66 people killed in 17 Kebeles. 39 people injured with more than 130,000 IDPs, and 137 people arrested. | 2018 to November 2020[8] |
During Prosperity Party ruling | Attack in Segan town of Konso | Unidentified militants reportedly attacked a restaurant. 3 people killed and 5 injured | August 2021[9] |
During Prosperity Party ruling | Intercommunal violence in SNNPR | 70,000 IDPs in Konso | 2020 to 2021[10][11][12] |
During Prosperity Party ruling | Killings with disputed agricultural land | Unidentified militia clashed with Konso ethnic militia & SNNPR special forces in Dimaya, Konso Zone resulted in unknown number of fatalities. Dimaya is border between Alle and Konso special Woredas | 26 March 2022[13] |
During Prosperity Party ruling | Segan's revenue officer shot and killed | Unidentified militia killed 1 officer while eating dinner at a restaurant | 26 March 2022[13] |
During Prosperity Party ruling | Segan's revenue officer shot and killed | Unidentified armed men from Alle killed 9 and injured 13 people in Dimiya, Segen, and Kolme cluster areas in Konso zone. The gun men burned down several homes | 27 March 2022[13] |
During Prosperity Party ruling | Civilians, and other killed in Segan | Unidentified armed men from Derashe shot and killed 1 Kebele officer, 1 local militia member and 2 civilians | 31 March 2022[13] |
See also
[edit]- Human rights in Ethiopia
- Ethnic violence against Amaro Koore
- Democratic backsliding in Ethiopia
- Gambela massacre
References
[edit]- ^ "Ethiopia: MIRA – MIRA – Conflict Needs Assessment Report in Konso Zone". assessments.hpc.tools. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "West Guji Conflict". Ethiopia Peace Observatory. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Brief Monitoring Report on the Ongoing Human Rights Situation in Konso Zone & Surrounding Areas Following a Conflict that Recurred on November 10, 2020". Ethiopian Human Rights Commission - EHRC. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Segen Area Peoples Zone Conflict". Ethiopia Peace Observatory. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Observer, Ethiopia (2016-03-14). "Traditional leader arrested in Konso". Ethiopia Observer. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Davison, William (2016-04-08). "Ethiopia's clampdown on dissent tests ethnic federal structure". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Zemede, Yared Ayalew (2017-06-01). "The Quest for Self-Determination Under Ethiopia's Ethnic Federalism: The Case of the People of Konso". Rochester, NY.
- ^ St, Addis; ard (2020-12-02). "News: Number of civilians killed in recent violence in Konso reaches 66; 39 injured and more than 130, 000 displaced". Addis Standard. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ St, Addis; ard (2022-04-19). "News: Close to 37,000 newly displaced civilians in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in Konso Zone, SNNP State". Addis Standard. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Ethiopia: Humanitarian Access Snapshot (January - June 2021) - Ethiopia ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Displaced by Violence in Ethiopia: A 9-Year-Old's Story". UNICEF USA. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ "Uprooted in Ethiopia: A day in the life of Gabezech". www.unicef.org. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ a b c d "Ethiopia Peace Observatory Weekly: 26 March-1 April 2022 [EN/AM] - Ethiopia | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. Retrieved 2023-02-13.