American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

 A community based qualitative study was conducted to assess mobility, conflict and the mechanisms of managing conflict in three selected sites in the western border areas of Afar region namely Kalkalsa, Finto and Garriro. The first two sites are found in Awra District and the latter one is located in Chifra District of Afar region. The study focused on mobility driven resource based conflict between the local community and their neighbours. Data was collected from March to April, 2017 using interviews. The study participants were 120 beneficiaries of GIZ run environmental conservation projects in the aforementioned areas. The collected data was thematically analyzed and the results showed that forced mobility is a response to climate change in which the communities of Kalkalsa and Finto move northward towards Yalo and Teru and Megale during periods of difficulty. On the other hand, communities of Garriro move Westwards to Amhara Region and Eastwards to Asaita and Afambo. Mobility is often attached to conflict since it comes in to play with basic resource. Resource based conflicts are prevalent in the study sites some of which have resulted in loss of human and animal life. The natures of conflicts vary from one site to another. Unlike in Kalkalsa and Finto, the conflict in Garriro is old existing and serious. It has also an inter-ethnic mode. Land and water are the key factors of this inter ethnic conflict. In an effort to handle such like consequences, communities have instituted formal and informal channels of conflict resolution. The intra-group conflicts of the Afar pastoralists are solved by indigenous mechanism of conflict resolution. Whereas the inter-ethnic and cross border conflicts are dealt by joint (formal and customary) institutions which apply different techniques. This new trend of integration between formal and informal channels is important and needs to be strengthened. The political actors in each part should work pro-actively so as to control the emerging conflict in the border between Afar and Amhara where the study sites are located.