Assessing and documenting the Nature (Procedures), Roles and Challenges of Indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in Western Districts of South Wollo Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

Unless conflict is managed properly, it results in political, social and economic destruction of
human beings. The paper focuses on Assessing and documenting the Nature (Procedures), Roles
and Challenges of Indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in Western Districts of South Wollo
Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. The data were collected from key informants, in-depth
interview, focus group discussion, and document analysis. To this end, purposive and snowball
sampling are used to select the participants. As a finding of the research shows, the main causes
of the conflict in the study area are abduction, violation of social values (insult), theft, conflict
over claims of a girl, competition over ownership of land, and extramarital relationship with
married woman and unmarried girls, Fire of house/crops, inheritance especially when children
are born from different family, being drunkard, intoxication, by blood inheritance or in revenge
and so forth. In addition, the finding has also revealed existence of many local and community
based customary practices and indigenous conflict resolution institutions. Ante(yzemed dagna),
Abagar, Mesal, Amare Kuna, Motte, Abiwolod, Abamamed, Qire, Awuchachign, Shimigilina and
so forth are well-known and formally recognized mediation and reconciliation mechanism to deal
with range of conflicts from simple disputes to horrifying murder acts. Though these indigenous
conflict resolution mechanisms are relevant to ensure social cohesion, there are many encountered
problems, which undermine the visibility and operationalization indigenous conflict resolution
mechanisms. As we obtain evidence from any kind of research tools, low implementation, little
acceptance of the issue to woreda formal judicial appeal, no support from the government, load
of tasks to council of elders even they engage in every bulky tasks, lack of bureau, lack of giving
recognition and absence of security force that enforcement of the decision when conflict parties
will be out of culture and religion based rules. Therefore, the study recommended that Religious
leaders should teach and preach religious and cultural values of the community instead of
following western culture, the community should formulate organized rules and regulation which
are accepted by the majority, Government and policy makers should give attention to develop the
framework of indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms and its relevance for the local community.