Text Sample: CHAPTER 4, RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: Mezard Institution of Conflict Resolution in Rural Alamata Woreda: This chapter briefly identifies the Mezard indigenous conflict resolution in rural Alamata with focus on Mezard institution. It mainly emphasizes the source of conflicts, the institutional development of Mezard the mechanism of indigenous conflict resolution, conflict preventive institutions, the jurisdiction of the institution, the process of addressing murder case in Mezard, enforceability, sustainability of the institution, the relationship between Mezard and formal court as well as strengths and weaknesses of the institution. 4.1, Sources and Type of Conflicts in Rural Alamata woreda: As the researcher has observed the rural Alamata woreda is an area which has a population which is engaged predominantly in agricultural activity as most of Ethiopian population with some activity of irrigation together with cattle breeding. This agro-pastoralist population has a strong coherence among themselves, because they are intertwined by several socio-cultural activities and practices which scale up their unity and coherence. Above all they give due emphasis and respect to their indigenous institutions or Wonzs which contribute for the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Conflicts may exist between individuals, families or between groups stemming from misunderstanding or verbal abuse to physical violence including death of parties to the conflict (Francis, 2006). These conflicts can be managed or resolved through various systems, for example, through dialogue or discussion. Hence, various indigenous practices or resolution methods provide in different laws, regulations and rules of institutions, are helpful for settling conflicts. According to the data gained through interview from the household elders in the study area, there are so many sources of conflicts that emanate from various perspectives. For instance, individuals conflict may stem from his/ her motivation to power like the need to be village head man, between group from need of resources like the rights to water or to pasture or boundaries, possession land, demand for resources (like water, grazing land, etc) which means scarcity of resources are usually reasons of conflicts. Thus these varieties of sources give rise to a conflict to happen, and contributes to socio-economic problems in the area. All members of the focus group discussion conducted in Waja outlined that there are several sources of conflict in the area. Among them are conflicts raised because of economic interest or scarcity of resources, demand for fairness, and need for social status and the like. These in turn contribute to conflict to break out within the society. Accordingly the members of the focus group discussion outline that social conflicts such as rape, abduction, and land conflicts are dominant in the area. Therefore this shows that socio-economic conflicts take the first hand in the study area. In line with this the researcher observed that the Mezard institution is giving services only two times a month. This is however raised by the members of the focus group discussion as it is not worth enough. There are several types of conflict manifested, observed and reported in the study area. Accordingly, the court official from Waja put it as follows; Resource related conflicts such as on ownership of plot of land, debt default, utilization of forest resources, over grazing land, boundaries of farm plots are common in the study area. There are also socio-cultural and value related conflicts such as marriage conflict, sexual offence, insulting an individual or a group of people, extra marital sexual relationship, etc. in addition there are also cases of murder, and conflicts which causes bodily injuries in the study area. But the cases of homicide are extremely rare. The data obtained through interview conducted with household elder from Timuga signifies that in the institution one of the serious crimes beside the homicide is having a relationship with married women. It was literally described as 'yabawera mist yeneka aras nebir endiyameta ytazezal', literary means those who made a sexual relationship with married women are obliged to bring a furious tiger. This implies the seriousness of the above practice which totally impossible for the suspect to meet the penalty. According to the members of the focus group discussion conducted in selen-weha the above types of conflict are really happening in our area. But two of the members of the focus group discussion have a reservation that the Mezard institution solves land conflicts especially on the border with Amhara regional state. In their answer to the question if the Mezard institution solve these conflicts; Of course the Mezard settles all the types of conflicts which are listed above. In case it has specific rules and regulations to guide every conflict happened either cultural, social, value, etc. what the Mezard is not confronting with is the conflicts which are related with politics and political matters. With regard to politics the Mezard institution has a non-interventionist policy.Its practices are out of political issues. Excerpted from Mezard, Indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanism in Northern Ethiopia: Assessing Rural Alamata Woreda, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia by Yonas Berhane All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
