COMPILED BY STAFF REPORTER
As traditional conflict resolution mechanisms play a significant role in conflict management, in Ethiopia, a number of conflicts have been resolved by traditional conflict resolution mechanisms in the involvement of religious fathers, influential individuals, knowledgeable and respected elders etc.
Among the communities these traditional conflict resolution mechanisms are entertained, Kaffa society, residing in the Southwest of Ethiopia and comprises ethnic groups such as Gommoro, Manja, Mano, Menit, and Bench peoples, is the one.
As Bisrat Gebru stated in a research paper titled ‘Traditional Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in Kaffa Society of Ethiopia,’ traditional conflict resolution mechanisms have long been employed in Kaffa society for generations.
As to him, though Shimgelena is common and used widely among Ethiopians, concurrent to it, Tommo and Eqqo indigenous conflict resolving mechanisms are deployed widely by Kaffa society.
Shimgelena is a condition in which genuine peace, security and trust is created among the conflicting parties as people having a central role in resolving conflicts. Thus, elders among the communities appointed based on wisdoms such as age, knowledge of the culture, self-control, ability to convince, charisma, religious leaders, especially if the two parties in the conflict are followers of the same religion.
The elders are selected as judges to suggest the terms of agreement to bring an end to conflicts. The time duration for the Shimgelena process to resolve conflicts depends on certain factors. In this regard, simple and medium-level conflicts are resolved mostly within one session, while very serious conflicts may take up to four or five sessions until final resolution is reached.
Likewise, the nature of the people, especially those on the side of the recipient has its own impact in the duration. If these people are liberal, the time the process takes tends to be shorter, whereas if they are conservative and rigid, it tends to take longer to resolve the conflict. However, as the majority of the Kaffa communities are agrarians, the dates preferred for Shimgelena are communal days-off such as monthly church holidays and the Sabbath, when people do not farm.
In Shimgelena process, at the beginning, people on the side of the offender select and send some elders (other than the judges) to the people on the side of the victim. Those elders propose an idea for peaceful reconciliation of the dispute through Shimgelena. The people on the side of the victim may or may not accept this proposal at the first encounter. If they do not accept at first, the people on the side of the offender would select other group of elders and send and will most likely accept the request. However, they require the presence of the first set of elders whom they initially refused, in order to give their positive response in an explicit manner.
Once agreement is reached to resolve the conflict through Shimgelena, they decide on the date and the number of elders on the side of the offender, the offended and neutral elders appointed as judges to attend the process. Usually equal numbers of elders are selected on both sides.
When the process starts, both the offender and the offended represent their bailers to avoid verbal abuses during the process. Then, both the offended and the offender present their cases.
After thorough consideration and investigation, the elders may order either parties or only the offended to stay out of the room in which they are gathered. This helps them to have free discussion in order to reach agreement among themselves concerning their final judgment. After discussion, they call in the offender to express what blame they see as theirs and to advise them to admit their wrong deed; and they also require them to suggest a commensurate compensation according to their offense. After that, the elders call in the offended and make their statement to bring lasting solution and state the required compensation in the presence of both sides.
The type of compensation can be in the form of a sheep, oxen, or some amount of cash. If the compensation is monetary, the amount shall cover all the expenses of the offended, which they had spent directly due to the conflict. Sometimes, after the type and amount of the compensation is decided; the people on the side of the offended, especially if they are wealthy or intending to win social respect, declare that they have willingly lifted the compensation and do not require it, with positive intentions.
Then, cold water is presented in a circular tub (Saffa) and a bunch of fresh grass is inserted into the water. Then all the elders put their hands into the tub containing the cold water and fresh grass. This symbolizes their wish for the conflict to cool down like the cold water and for the future life of both parties to flourish like the fresh grass.
After this blessing by the elders for future peace, all parties celebrate by eating and drinking whatever has been prepared for the occasion.
Tommo is the other accustomed traditional conflict resolution mechanism used by all clans of Kaffa community. The name also refers to the leader of such a clan who has a gift of knowing what people have done to other people even if he has not seen it in person and/or heard of that act from other people.
The procedures start from bringing cases to Tommo by the person/group harmed or mistreated.
The Tommo presents the case to his accomplices and organizes a taskforce that will handle the case. The taskforce talk to the offender to understand the cause and brief the other member.
The taskforce collects all the required information, and brief the Tommo. Depending on the information collected, the Tommo arranges a certain date and time for the joint meeting and sends messages to both parties if the date is convenient for them.
When everyone appears on the date decided; the Tommo makes a short speech about the overall situation and the objective of the gathering. Then, the offended party is requested to present their case. Then, the offender is allowed to have a say on the points mentioned by the person/groups who claimed to have been harmed/mistreated.
After listening to both sides, the Tommo together with the taskforce passes a reasonable and balanced decision. Then, the reconciliation process ends with both parties forgiving each other and reuniting with water and fresh grass presented in a small circular tub (Saffa).
This last procedure is similar to process followed in the Shimgelena procedure. Once conflicts are resolved through either in Shimgelena or Tommo processes, the terms of the agreement are respected with strict compliance: to the terms of the agreement. Failure to observe the decision of such respected elders would result in being outcast from the community since it is considered as disrespect for the elders and ultimately the sacred values of the communities.
The Ethiopian Herald 22 April 2021
