‘Holding the Tension’: Toward an Indigenous Epistemology of Conflict Transformation Among the Afar, Oromo, and Somali of Ethiopia

Cooperating countries: Ethiopia and Austria

Coordinating institution: Academy of Fine Art Vienna, Anette Baldauf a.baldauf@akbild.ac.at 

Partner institution: Haramaya University

Project duration: 

Abstract: 
Ethiopia's diverse landscape and complex political histories have contributed to recurring conflicts, ethnic rivalries, and political instability, challenging efforts to establish sustainable peace and national unity. Existing governance models, particularly the ethnic federalism introduced in the 1990s, have often exacerbated tensions rather than mitigating/ them. Nation-building efforts frequently overlooked the potential of Indigenous governance systems, which offer valuable frameworks for conflict resolution, social cohesion, and inclusive governance. This study explores the Indigenous epistemologies of conflict transformation among the Oromo, Somali, and Afar peoples, focusing on their traditional governance systems—Gadaa (Oromo), Xeer (Somali), and Mablo (Afar)—can inform Ethiopia’s efforts to build peace and hold the tension in a non-violent coexistence. These systems emphasize participatory governance, consensus-based decision-making, and community-led conflict resolution, offering alternative perspectives on coexistence and relational governance. Rather than seeking to resolve or eliminate tensions, this research examines how these Indigenous systems provide ways to hold the tension—navigating conflicts without erasing difference. Bridging conflict theory and artistic research, this study engages with Africological perspectives and Indigenous knowledge traditions to explore how different ways of knowing and relating can inform conflict transformation. It situates itself at the intersection of conflict theory’s emphasis on stability and peace-making and artistic research’s focus on relational practices that embrace complexity and interconnectedness. By analyzing customary laws, oral traditions, and artistic expressions as tools for mediation, this research develops a transdisciplinary framework for reimagining governance and conflict transformation in Ethiopia. In doing so, it challenges dominant paradigms and fosters a critical dialogue between Indigenous and academic knowledge systems, advancing an epistemology of conflict transformation rooted in the lived experiences and governance traditions of the Afar, Oromo, and Somali peoples.