“The Nilotic groups in Ethiopia were marginalized politically and socially by the
relatively organized communities in the highlands. They were dominated by the
neighbouring communities, the Christian kingdoms of Ethiopia and the Sudan. They were considered as people with low social, economic, political and cultural development; they were given the derogatory name of Shanqilla, meaning dark skinned lowlanders, with the connotation of inferiority and slavery. The study is an attempt to examine this traditional system of conflict resolution, mainly based on the living traditions of the people. They had been subjected to various forms of aggressions and conflicts in Metekkel
region. In the struggle for survival, the Gumuz lost their lives and they were
displaced, limited to unhealthy spots from which they took refuge elsewhere.”
