Centralization Effort and Local Gumuz Response in North Western Ethiopia: The Lambicha Revolt and Its After Math (1960- 1961).

Abstract

The Gumuz people of Mätäkäl are one of the peripheral marginalized peoples in northwestern Ethiopia. They were subjected to protracted slave raids by the rulers or agents of the Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia, the Sudanese authorities and local regional lords. In fact, this characterized their history up to the first half of twentieth century. In due courses, the Gumuz started to put up an organized resistance to this age old discriminating and dehumanizing socio-political processes. This expressed itself in various forms such as taking subtle actions against their former masters or the neighboring ethnic groups; or by open revolt against the government. Hence conflict and violence dominated the relation of the Gumuz with both the government of various period and the neighboring ethnic groups. The government of Haile Sellassie devised and implemented various administrative reforms to contain and control these actions of the Gumuz. Administrative centers and police stations were opened in different districts of Mätäkäl deep in to the Gumuz land. The expansion of the political center in to the Gumuz periphery created conducive condition for the closer interaction of different peoples that facilitated the socio-economic and cultural transformation of the Gumuz people. In fact, the Gumuz have been seen considerable changes in their traditional way of life and different aspects of their life since then. For instance, the event paved the way for the birth of the Centre-Periphery approaches in to the Periphery-Centre developmental changes.

Keywords: Resistance, Autonomy, Self Administration, Marginalization.