Despite embarking on a third millennium of development, Ethiopian culture is still victim to outdated and even primitive practices that blights its largely positive traditions. Among these social evils are family blood fueds spanning generations- the topic for this edition of Capital’s Society page.

Code of Silence

Family is family. That’s just about the most profound of any truism but hey, its blood right? Well you say, of course, our family is our main purpose in life. I’d defend my family at pain of death if necessary. There is no question about being there when the family’s honor and well being are at stake. So you would think and I would have nodded my head silly in agreement had I not been researching this week’s Society page topic; extended family fuels.
How many of us family guys then would go as far as to commit brutal multiple murders in the cause of a fued between your family and another that was sparked by a ridiculous (usually) quarrel by the patriarchs of the respected families a hundred years ago? This question does not seem irrelevant in third Millennium Ethiopia because medieval practices abound in our country. Among these is the “tradition” of maintaining the fires of old fueds begun by long dead relatives over long forgotten squabbles and affecting sometimes mortally, descendants in the present.
This topic was included in the roster of Society page discussion items after news of a horrendous crime had shocked an editorial meeting here at Capital in June 2007. Yeka is a small mountain found in the namesake sub-city and a popular hiking area frequented by athletes like the great Haile, Kenenisa and other world class athletes who train side by side with the out of breathe, pack a day, rare Sunday hiker like yours truly.
A home built on one of Yeka’s slopes was the scene of the result of primitive customs which snuffed out the lives of three innocent children, all below 10 years of age. An alleged relative of the parents, in order to fulfill the blood thirsty aims of a generational family fued entered the home, couldn’t find the parents and slit the throats of those helpless children.
It was a dastardly act which by the way is not as infrequent as we would like to think. This form of ritualized sanction of murder is rooted to varying degrees of intensity in virtually all of the different peoples and nationalities in Ethiopia. Of course, the march of political, economic and social development has made such primitive customs somewhat rarer. However, despite the fact that progress is being registered regularly in regards to the abolition of harmful practices throughout the country, much work still remains to be done, especially in the least developed areas of Ethiopia.
Generational blood fueds are not by the way, solely an Ethiopian phenomena.
Fueds perversely, were “matters of honor” for those embroiled in them … deeming the blood of a slain relative maybe decades ago to be just cause for killing the offspring of that fossiled killer’s descendant to ‘restore’ family pride.
Ultimately, blood fuels spanning generations are the result of a breakdown in both traditional and official systems of conflict resolution and justice. It is only by strengthening the basic tools of mediation at grassroots levels that blood fueds and other malignant social tumors can be excised cleanly from the collective conscious. Let us revive that village council of elders sitting under a shady tree, before a spat over a couple of goats continues to be the cause of death years and generations later.

What is your opinion of cultural feuds spanning generations?

I agree that Ethiopian culture is sort of jinxed by its very diversity and richness of custom. While I strongly oppose heinous acts such as the murder of innocents under the guise of familial honor, we must not overly focus on the negativities of Ethiopian culture.
With that said, the awful deaths of those three little children, tragic as it is, has served an important purpose: it has brought home to public awareness the continued existence of those harmful customs in Ethiopia’s rich culture of goodness- the chaff in the wheat, so to speak. Even if the public discussion of the issue of blood fueds may not go further than this page, the cause will be out there now. I urge all concerned – that means every citizen – to contribute their part of trying to resolve everyday disputes (which are inevitable) early and in conciliatory fashion before we even learn of a sick ‘concept’ such as blood fueds spanning generations. Such things are evil emotions our merciful God warns us to keep away from.

K.Samson, student of Theology

Personally, I call upon the families which may still be holding grudges against other families for events that took place by and in their grandparents or parents era. Members of such families who have attained even a reasonable level of modern education – stop the hurt and hurting, resolve what has made you mortal enemies with that other family which too is victimized just as yours is. Free yourself and your offspring from this curse. Forgive and forget.

Melat, nurse

Some things can be solved relatively instantly. Take for instance, electrification. A region requires electric power so a dam is built somewhere and in a few years, that sleepy little village becomes a boom town, Unfortunately, harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and fueds – cannot be as simple as building a hydro electric dam. Such problems derive their consistency from many centuries of collective thought processing and will require many years if not decades of patient work in one sphere- Education. The more educated Ethiopians are the better Ethiopia we can create.