THE CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND INTERVENTION MECHANISMS OF BLOOD FEUD IN EAST-BELESA WOREDA, CENTRAL GONDAR ZONE

Abstract

This study focused on the causes, consequences and intervention mechanisms of blood feuds in East Belesa Woreda, Central Gondar Zone. The study used a qualitative research approach and an ethnographic research design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and non-participant observations. Using snowball and purposive sampling technique, 27 participants were selected based on their knowledge and experience with the issue. Thematic data analysis methods were undertaken to analysis the data collected from March to May 2024. Blood feuds in East Belesa Woreda are driven by economic, cultural, and governmental factors, creating a complex web of violence and instability. Economic disputes over land and theft, coupled with inadequate legal resolution, highlight the critical role of land for economic stability. Culturally, traditions of blood feud, the expectation to carry weapons, and the illegal arms trade fuel cycles of violence tied to honor and social status. Governmental failures, including weak judgments and ineffective law enforcement, exacerbate these feuds by failing to provide justice, pushing communities to rely on traditional practices like blood feuds. Additionally, corruption and inefficiency within local government bodies further erode trust in official conflict resolution mechanisms, prompting individuals to seek justice through extra-legal means. The consequences of these blood feuds are severe, leading to displacement, poverty, social exclusion, and psychological trauma. While indigenous conflict resolution methods like Dem adraki committees play a role in promoting peace, their limitations and cultural biases often perpetuate the cycle of violence. Addressing blood feuds in East Belesa Woreda requires enhancing economic stability through fair land distribution and robust legal frameworks, promoting non-violent conflict resolution and reducing weapon proliferation, improving governmental effectiveness in law enforcement and judicial processes, and integrating traditional methods with formal legal systems to ensure fair and culturally sensitive outcomes.