Ethnic violence in Konso

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Ethnic violence in Konso
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Konso
Konso (Ethiopia)
Duration1994— present
Location Konso, Ethiopia Flag of Ethiopia.svg
Coordinates 5°20′25″N37°26′20″E / 5.3404°N 37.4388°E / 5.3404; 37.4388
TypeEthnic violence
  • Civilians and farmers killed and injured
  • 1 million+ displaced
  • Hundreds of IDPs
  • Homes burned down
ThemeOngoing ethnic violence
CauseLand drawn along ethnic lines (Ethnic Federalism)
MotiveDispute over administrative land, leadership and territory
ParticipantsVarious militants from Flag of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region.svg and Flag of the Oromia Region.svg regions
DeathsOngoing. 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 series human rights violations and suffering, with the ethnic federalism system that drew formal administrative divisions with regional boundaries falling along ethnic lines. [2] [3]

Contents

Background and events of the Konso conflict

This is the background for some southern ethnic habitation since the 1990s and the timeline of the Konso conflict.

PeriodEvent and land administrationDescriptionDate
Pre-1994Independent Woredas Amaro, Burji, Derashe, Konso, and AllePrior to the 1994 ethnic federalism [4]
During and pre-EPRDF Special Woreda with Semi-autonomous administrative setupAmaro, 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 WoredasAlle (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 minorityDuring and pre-EPRDF [4]
During and pre-EPRDF Residents of the Konso Special Woreda Majority Konso, and Gewada (Alle) as minorityDuring and pre-EPRDF [4]
During and pre-EPRDF Residents of the Amaro Special Woreda the Kore ethnic groupDuring and pre-EPRDF [4]
During and pre-EPRDF Residents of the Burji Special Woreda the Burji ethnic grouppost-1994 [4]
During EPRDF with ethnic federalism Alle minority sought independenceThe Alle minority wanted to pursue its own Special Woredapost-1994 [4]
During EPRDF Start of dispute with removal of Special Woredas as a temporary solutionFormation 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 AlleAlle, Burji, Dirasha, Konso (Xonsita), Kore, Kusumie, Mashole and Moseye, and others (Oromo, Welayta, Amhara, Gurage)post-1994 [4]
During EPRDF Konso protest and imprisonmentResistance 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 prisonersAbiy Ahmed announced the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia2018 [4]
post-EPRDF Dissociation from the Segan ZoneKonso and Ale's groups split from Segan ZoneNovember 2018 [4]
post-EPRDF Konso became an independent ZoneViolence 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 rulingAttack in Segan town of KonsoUnidentified militants reportedly attacked a restaurant. 3 people killed and 5 injuredAugust 2021 [9]
During Prosperity Party rulingIntercommunal violence in SNNPR70,000 IDPs in Konso2020 to 2021 [10] [11] [12]
During Prosperity Party rulingKillings with disputed agricultural landUnidentified 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 Woredas26 March 2022 [13]
During Prosperity Party rulingSegan's revenue officer shot and killedUnidentified militia killed 1 officer while eating dinner at a restaurant26 March 2022 [13]
During Prosperity Party rulingSegan's revenue officer shot and killedUnidentified 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 homes27 March 2022 [13]
During Prosperity Party rulingCivilians, and other killed in SeganUnidentified armed men from Derashe shot and killed 1 Kebele officer, 1 local militia member and 2 civilians31 March 2022 [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Karat is a town in south-western Ethiopia and the capital of the Konso Zone in the new South Ethiopia Regional State. Situated 20 km north of the Sagan River, this town has a latitude and longitude of 5°15′N37°29′E and an elevation of 1,650 metres (5,410 ft). It is also called Pakawle by some of the neighboring inhabitants. The town and the surrounding villages were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011 as a cultural landscape for its unique cultural traditions and importance for the Konso people.

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Konso is a zone in the South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia. It was formerly a woreda. Prior to 2011, Konso was not part of any Zone in the SNNPR and was therefore considered a special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. In 2011, the Segen Area Peoples Zone was established, which includes Konso special woreda and the 3 former woredas surrounding it. This special woreda is named after the Konso people. Located in the Great Rift Valley, Konso is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by the South Omo Zone, on the northwest by Alle special woreda, on the north by Dirashe special woreda, on the northeast by Amaro special woreda, and on the east by Burji special woreda. The Sagan River, which flows south then west to join the Weito, defines part of the woreda's boundary with Burji and the entire length of the boundary with the Oromia Region. The administrative center is Karati; other towns in Konso include Fasha and Sagen. After protesting by residents to become a zone for several years, Konso became a zone in November 2018.

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Events in the year 2022 in Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persecution of Amhara people</span> Systematic mass killings of Amhara people in Ethiopia

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Events in the year 2023 in Ethiopia.

This is part of the series of violence between minorities in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) and West Guji Zone of the Oromia regions, causing frequent attacks against ethnic Koore and other minorities in the Amaro special woreda and surroundings. Ethiopian Human Rights Council underscored the increasingly frequent nature and spread of conflicts and security issues in the area and called for preventative measures.

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References

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  2. "West Guji Conflict". Ethiopia Peace Observatory. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  3. "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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Segen Area Peoples Zone Conflict". Ethiopia Peace Observatory. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  5. Observer, Ethiopia (2016-03-14). "Traditional leader arrested in Konso". Ethiopia Observer. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  6. Davison, William (2016-04-08). "Ethiopia's clampdown on dissent tests ethnic federal structure". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
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  11. "Displaced by Violence in Ethiopia: A 9-Year-Old's Story". UNICEF USA. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  12. "Uprooted in Ethiopia: A day in the life of Gabezech". www.unicef.org. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
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