THE PRACTICES OF GONDOOROO INSTITUTION AS A CUSTOMARY CONFLICT RESOLUTION MECHANISM AMONG THE GUJI-OROMO IN BULE-HORA DISTRICT, WESTERN GUJI-ZONE, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The different ethnic groups in Ethiopia as a whole and the Guji-Oromo of Bule-Hora district, in particular, had their own indigenous conflict resolution institutions long-lived for years. Those different institutions had been serving to resolve current conflicts that erupt in the community at distinct scales. With the introduction of the 1930's criminal law of the Empire of Ethiopia, there was a shift of dealing with dispute cases through two different legal systems. These are the government court and the indigenous system of conflict resolution institutions like Gondooroo. The Gondooroo institution has been functional and the majority of dispute cases in the district are handled according to its procedures. There has been scanty or little knowledge produced on the practices and roles of Gondooroo. As a result, this study explore the conflict resolution mechanisms deployed among the Guji-Oromo of Bule-Hora district, with particular emphasis on Gondooroo institution. Methodologically, data were collected from both primary and secondary sources through purposive (non-probability) sampling techniques. Overall, the study pursued an interpretive qualitative field work approach and interview, focus group discussion and observation methods of data collection were used. However, as the finding of study showed that; many of the challenges such as the excluded of women under the Gadaa grades, the absence of income generating resources of institution, unequal participation of men and women in Gondooroo practices, less beliefs of community towards women roles in conflict resolution and the misunderstanding of few individuals towards women role in Gondooroo practice”, the few government and legal experts negatively cricizes of Gondoorooroo practices such as “Gondooroo lacks police- personnel, prison house and formally putted laws and their mis-undestanding of saying Gondooroo is unable to resolve conflicts in a good manner”, the expands of urban area/urbanization and the existences of formal law in both rural and urban area were other challenges. Because, different background people lives together in the urban and those different background people may not interested by the institution practices and takes their cases to the formal court by considering the Gondooroo us unable to resolve the conflicts. These above socio-economic, political and cultural challenges were influencing the Gondooroo practices, as conflict resolution institution. Therefore, the residents of the district, key agents of the institution like Abbaa Gadaas, Hayyuus, knowledgeable elderly women, Torbii and Government body from kebele to Zone should work together to solve the problems existing with the institution and create better conditions for the institution to resolve conflicts existing in the area in good manner.