The House of Federation (HoF) has requested the federal government to intervene in worsening mineral-related conflicts in the Gambella and South West Ethiopia regions, with its members alleging foreign involvement in the fighting.
“There have been conflicts between Gambella and South West Ethiopia for a while. It was initially caused by a dispute over land between the two regions. The conflict has led to a loss of lives. Because the disputed border area is rich in minerals, the conflict has grown in magnitude. Now, Nigerian migrants have gotten involved in the disputed areas,” said a House member during a session this week.
Although the two regional administrations have held dialogue on the issue, they have been unable to quell it, leading the House to call on the federal government to intervene to “solve the conflict and ensure peace.”
The demanding between Gambella and the newly formed south west Ethiopia region is just one example of the Boder Disputes and Ethnic tensions broought up during the session. Territorial Disputes Between Amhara and Oromia, Border Clashes and Claims between Afar and Somalia, Oromia and Somali, Benishangul and Amhara, and disputes involving Dire Dawa were also divided.
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Hof members demanded to know why these disputes have been allowed to continue for years.
“The case of Wolkait, Raya and Tselemt has been rolling down for a long time in this House. It has also become a source of conflict and insecurity for the regional states. Why has the House failed to take action and solve the problems once and for all? Illegal actions over the disputed areas should not be allowed to continue,” said one member.
The MP warned that failure to resolve territorial disputes before the upcoming elections would be a monumental failure on the part of the government and would “doom the election.”
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House Speaker Agegnehu Teshager provided an update on the situation, which he says could lead to renewed conflict, and called on the regional administrations of Amhara and Tigray to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
“The Tigray region has been asking and demanding to control the disputed areas as per the Pretoria Agreement. This could not be realized. The region’s administration also asked for a referendum. But a referendum is difficult. The issue might lead to conflict so we’re examining everything cautiously. Both Amhara and Tigray must sit down for dialogue. A holistic solution is crucial for all of the identity and land disputes arising across the country,” said Agegnehu.
He noted a rise in the number of petitions for new regional states reaching the House.
“There are several petitions for [the creation of] regional states. Some people are sitting in Addis Ababa but want to create a new regional state somewhere in Ethiopia. Dialogue and stability is critical. Several parts of the country are also requesting the intervention of the federal government. Some are calling themselves nationalities or nations without legal recognition. We’re fielding some very heavy questions. This is also bad for our party,” said Agegnehu.
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