Assessment of traditional conflict management practice in jimma zone selected woredas

Abstract

Conflict is inevitable in every society; it results in political, social and economic destruction of human beings, if it is not managed properly. The type of conflict resolution system that individuals used to settle disagreement the cost of conflict was depends. The main objective of this study was being to assess the traditional conflict management practices in Jimma Zone selected Woredas. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the indigenous conflict management; types of conflicts managed by indigenous traditional mechanism; role of indigenous institution in handling conflict and procedures used to enforcing the traditional conflict management; to examine the extent of traditional conflict management effectively and to analysis challenges and weakness of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms in study area. The study was be used a mixed approach both qualitative and quantitative design followed. The study was used both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data sources were data gathered from study participants through questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussion. Secondary data sources were literature gathered from book, journals, kebele social courts and police force documents. The study population was all local social courts, local elders, religious leaders and house hold heads in the study areas. Among 20 woredas in Jimma zone, 3 woredas, among 3 woredas 6 kebeles was selected by Simple random sampling techniques specifically by lottery methods. The study population were household heads, local elders, religious leaders, police force and social court. Total sample of study were 85 participants; 45 sample of study were selected from three woredas for questionnaires. The selection of sample was 15 respondents from each selected woredas done by snow ball techniques, two focus group discussions were conducted in the two woredas which consist each 8 members and interview was applied with 24 key informant of local social courts, local elders, religious leaders and house hold heads proportionally from six kebele who have experiences of settling conflict through indigenous methods. The quantities data was computed by frequency and percentage while description analysis was done for qualitative data. The result of the revealed that majority of respondents around 30% were conflicted on marriage and 29% on land ownership. The conflict resolution mechanisms in study area were by local mediator, negotiation and religious leader. The study results also revealed that the challenges of traditional conflict resolution were lack of support from governments, lack of documentation and limitation in participatory of women and youth. To conclude, Conflict mostly occurred in study area were land ownership, marriage on marriage, steeling properties of others, children related conflicts and when cattle eat and destroy crop. Religious person and elders in the community were solving the conflict through mediate and negation. Even if there is effectively conflict resolution by traditional mechanism, the support from government was identified as challenges. The study recommended that, to minimize conflict in the community and encourage traditional conflict management governments and other stakeholder should participate in creating awareness for community and working together. So, government and non-governmental organization should be work actively.