A critical analysis of Issa-Afar violence in Ethiopia and the imperative for constructive transformation

Abstract

This thesis critically analyzes the phenomena of Issa-Afar violence in Ethiopian in the post-1991 period. It interrogated the explanation for the self-perpetuating nature of the violence militating against successive peace-making efforts and the way forward towards its constructive transformation. Previous studies on the topic have either focused on the nature of the Issa-Afar conflict, in general, or conceived the violence as war violence per se. However, given the long history, multiple and overlapping contexts and types of violence involved, the reason for the continuity of the violence and how to transform the violent relations constructively have not been analyzed. Because the nature, utility and dynamic of the violence, on the one hand, the explanation behind its self-perpetuating nature, on the other was not analyzed. Therefore, this study examined the entirety of the violence including the memory and narratives of Issa-Afar violence from a phenomenological point of view. The study was informed by hybrid theories of violence and peace-making, mainly Galtung’s and Lederach’s theoretical and conceptual lenses were used as analytical frameworks for explaining the continuity of violence and the imperative for constructive transformation. Accordingly, the study came up with the following major findings. First, Issa-Afar violence became self-perpetuating because of the interplay direct violence, structural violence, cultural violence over time. Second, the unique feature of Issa-Afar violence is that the memory of past violence has great effects in justifying the continuity of violence in the above mentioned three forms. Besides, the continued territorial eviction gave it a characteristic of foundational violence. Third, the various changes, which occurred during the post-1991 period at local national and regional levels have augmented the cycle of violence. Fourth, the cumulative effect of the above situations contributed to the failure of successive peace-making, which in turn added to the collective loss of hope in the possibility of peace, that reinforced the commitment to pursue the way of violence. Thus, the constructive transformation of Issa-Afar violence requires a comprehensive, ingenious, authentic and indigenous turn informed by the lived experience of the people than a top-down and state-security informed approach.