The State-Gumuz Conflict in North Western Ethiopia: Periphery-Center Attempts and Its Response (1974-1991 Revolution)

Abstract

The Gumuz people of Mätäkäl are one of the peripherial marginalized peoples in northwestern Ethiopia.They were subjected to protracted slave raids by the rulers or agents of the Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia, the Sudanese authorities and local regional lords. Infact, this characterized their history up to the first half of twentieth century. In due courses, the Gumuz strated to put up an organized resistance to this age old discriminating and dehumanizing socio-political processes. This expressed itself in various forms such as taking subtle actions against their former masters or the neighboring ethnic groups; or by open revolt against the government. Hence conflict and violence dominated the relation of the Gumuz with both the government of various period and the neighboring ethnic groups. The government of Haile Sellassie devised and implemented various administrative reforms to contain and control these actions of the Gumuz. Administrative centers and police stations were opened in different districts of Mätäkäl deep in Gumuz land. This episode paved the way for the migration of peoples mainly from Wollo and North Gondar to Mätäkäl. The Gumuz lost a significant portion of their land as they retreated from the newly established administrative centers. Such losses were further worsened with the arrival of state sponsored resettlers in the region during the mid 1980s. In spite of this, the expansion of the political center in to the Gumuz periphery created conducive condition for the closer interaction of different peoples that facilitated the socio-economic and cultural transformation of the Gumuz people. In fact, the Gumuz have been seen considerable changes in their traditional way of life and different aspects of their life since then. Forinstance, the event paved the way for the birth of the Centre-Periphery approaches in to the Periphery-Centre developmental changes. Keywords: Settlement, Re- Settlement ,Villagization, Scheme