ASSESSING CUSTOMARY CONFLICT RESOLUTION MECHANISMS AMONG THE NUER IN JIOKOW WOREDA, THE GAMBELLA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

In Ethiopia, customary dispute resolution mechanisms address conflicts among clans, sub-clans, and families. Limited data existed on these practices in the Gambella region, particularly Jiokow Woreda. This study evaluated the customary conflict resolution mechanisms among the Nuer in Jiokow Woreda, focusing on their methods and effectiveness. Primary data were collected via focus group discussions (FGD), key informant interviews (KII), and non-participant observation, while secondary data were sourced from books, journal articles, and agency reports. Qualitative data from 22 key informants and 28 FGD participants knowledgeable about these mechanisms were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed conflicts stemmed from disputes over grazing lands, farmlands, cattle rustling, adultery, elopement, rape, weddings, dances, impregnation, divorce, leadership rivalries, status conflicts, drunkenness, firearm access, and cattle camp ownership. State politics, murders, and revenge killings, alongside population pressure and resource competition, intensified these issues. Resulting losses included looted cattle, destroyed crops, burned villages, and displaced populations, fracturing social bonds. Disputes were managed through customary methods—such as blood compensation with cattle, sefer shums’ courts, earth priests, leopard skin chiefs, village elders, and church leaders—and modern government systems, including criminal detention and enforced reparations. Though operating concurrently, these approaches lacked formal integration. Customary practices, valued for their indigenous roots, held greater local legitimacy. However, the parallel systems created a resolution gap. The government should assess Nuer Zone woredas, especially Jiokow, to integrate customary justice into regional legal frameworks, bolster social courts, host peace-building conferences, and devise effective strategies for sustainable peace and social harmony.