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GAMBELLA: Sharing land and water
resources across borders and boundaries
Ethiopia
Sudan
Summer School “Borders and Border-Crossings in Africa”AEGIS (Africa-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies)
Cortona (Italy), 16-22 June 2008
POLITICAL BORDERS
Gambellaregion
Borderlands are sites and symbols of power
(Donnan and Wilson)
GEOGRAPHICAL BORDERS
Baro River
Akobo River
Sobat River
Gilo River
White Nile River
Rivers do not always respect national borders
(IUCN)
WATER BORDERS
BORDERS ARE STATICSTATIC
WATER IS MOVEABLEMOVEABLE
LAND IS VARIABLEVARIABLE
AND AND POPULATIONS?POPULATIONS?
Sudd - One of the largest wetlands in the world
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS MAP?
POPULATIONS - MULTIPLE BOUNDARIES
Sudan
Ethiopia
Centre
Periphery
Highlands
Lowlands
Locals
Outsiders
Settlers
Nomads
Dryseason Wet season
LA
ND
WA
TE
R
Sudan
Ethiopia
Centre
Periphery
Highlands
Lowlands
Locals
Outsiders
Settlers
Nomads
Dryseason Wet season
IDENTITY BOUNDARIES – reality or politics?
NUER ANUAK
HIGHLANDERS REFUGEE?
COMPETING FOR RESOURCESacross borders and boundaries
LA
ND
WA
TE
R
PO
WE
R
Access
Ownership
Distribution
Migration
Politics
Conflict
RESOURCES
POWER
WHERE IS THE BORDER?
80s Highlanders
80s Army
and Refugees90s U
rban
Dw
ellers
+ M
ovem
ent
90s/2000s
Pastoralists
90s/2000s
Pastoralists
90s/
2000
s P
asto
ralis
ts
90s/
2000
s
Pas
tora
lists
Conflict
Conflict
GAMBELLA-CONFLICTS WITHOUT
BORDERS• Pressure over the land • Pressure over riverian areas• Ecological degradation• Conflicts between social groups• Competition for power and wealth• Blurred lines of conflict• Potential for border disputes• Risk of political manipulation of competition for
resources
Are we talking about Gambella?Could be Darfur!
