The Nexus between Commercialisation of Agricultural Land and Ethnic Conflict in Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz Regional States of Ethiopia

Ethnic conflict has been reinforced in Gambella and BG regions following the land grabbing process, because of ethnicity’s two edge role; first ethnicity provides the source of solidarity for organized action by articulating the impacts of the land grabbing. Secondly, ethnicity has been used as instrument of elites for rent seeking from the ongoing land grabbing process. In both cases, ethnically motivated interests lead to ethnic based conflicts. Such instrumental stature has been strengthened by two interrelated factors: first the existing problematic state formation and structure associated with Ethiopia which is giving a space for manipulation. Secondly, the process of commercialization of agricultural land is creating new phenomenon such as competition over employment and power, migration , eviction, corruption, land renting, illegal settlement etc. such factors have been behind the overt and covert form of ethnic conflict between different ethnic groups. However, it worth noting that there have not been violent outright ethnic conflict other than the Mejenger zone conflict in Gambella region. Most ethnic based conflicts are rather small, subtle and less organized.