The Dynamics of Ethnic Relations in Ethiopia: An Ethnographic Study of Meki Town, Oromia Regional State
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It was in the late 19th century when Ethiopia appeared with its current borders and ethnic formation owing to the territorial expansion launched by Emperor Menelik Ⅱ. The everlasting nature of conflicts in the state can be primarily explained by its exclusive political practices and the use of cruel force to control different people. It is clear that such a tendency was more remarkable during the periods of the Ethiopian Emperors and the Derg government. The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, which was established in 1991, has endeavored to redress unreasonable ethnic relations. Ethnic conflicts deriving from diverse interests are, nonetheless, still rampant in the different corners of the state. The purpose of the current study is to examine the dynamics of ethnic relations in Meki Town in the context of interaction and conflicts, based on my fieldwork, which was executed in the community. The major findings of this study are summarized as follows. First, ethnic conflicts in the Meki community have resulted from three significant events: ⅰ) the forced religious conversion during the Haile Sellassie period; ⅱ) the land reform during the Derg government; and ⅲ) the Oromo’s atrocities against other ethnic groups during the Derg epoch. Second, the Oromo were being still dominated psychologically by the Amhara because of their long historical experiences. Third, there have been diverse forms of ethnic discrimination between the Oromo and other ethnic groups at the individual and collective levels. Fourth, many members of non-Oromo ethnic groups have been Oromonized for their survival in the community. Finally, there has been economic interaction among different ethnic groups, and latent conflicts have taken place among them due to the Gurage’s domination of the commercial hegemony of the community. The ethnic interaction and conflicts among Meki people should be understood in the context of their historical experiences which reflect their sociocultural, economic and political conditions of existence over generations. It should be also noted that ethnic relations in the community are essentially fluid and dynamic, depending upon internal and external conditions of existence of different groups.
Abstract
It was in the late 19th century when Ethiopia appeared with its current borders and ethnic formation owing to the territorial expansion launched by Emperor Menelik Ⅱ. The everlasting nature of conflicts in the state can be primarily explained by its exclusive political practices and the use of cruel force to control different people. It is clear that such a tendency was more remarkable during the periods of the Ethiopian Emperors and the Derg government. The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, which was established in 1991, has endeavored to redress unreasonable ethnic relations. Ethnic conflicts deriving from diverse interests are, nonetheless, still rampant in the different corners of the state. The purpose of the current study is to examine the dynamics of ethnic relations in Meki Town in the context of interaction and conflicts, based on my fieldwork, which was executed in the community. The major findings of this study are summarized as follows. First, ethnic conflicts in the Meki community have resulted from three significant events: ⅰ) the forced religious conversion during the Haile Sellassie period; ⅱ) the land reform during the Derg government; and ⅲ) the Oromo’s atrocities against other ethnic groups during the Derg epoch. Second, the Oromo were being still dominated psychologically by the Amhara because of their long historical experiences. Third, there have been diverse forms of ethnic discrimination between the Oromo and other ethnic groups at the individual and collective levels. Fourth, many members of non-Oromo ethnic groups have been Oromonized for their survival in the community. Finally, there has been economic interaction among different ethnic groups, and latent conflicts have taken place among them due to the Gurage’s domination of the commercial hegemony of the community. The ethnic interaction and conflicts among Meki people should be understood in the context of their historical experiences which reflect their sociocultural, economic and political conditions of existence over generations. It should be also noted that ethnic relations in the community are essentially fluid and dynamic, depending upon internal and external conditions of existence of different groups.
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