Managing land conflicts in plural societies Intergroup land governance in Ethiopia

Land related conflicts, including those that arise between pastoralists and farmers, are triggered by social, economic, political and environmental drivers while human induced climate change is accounted as a threat multiplier. These conflicts have sustained poverty and inhibited the development aspirations of communities around the world. In many countries, formal state and non-state systems operate along with customary systems to manage and resolve these conflicts. However, the interaction between these two systems is often fragmented and not informed by empirical evidence on what works well. The thesis examined the modus operandi of communal land conflict management in Africa focusing on Ethiopia and a case study of the Afar-Wejerat land related conflicts. Institutional set ups, instruments, actors, drivers and the effects of the instruments were analysed by integrating multi-level institutional analysis with the concepts of legal pluralism and sustainable development. The analysis identified the strengths and weaknesses of the formal and customary systems that determine their ability to adequately address the drivers of conflicts and ensure sustainable development. The findings showed that it is imperative to redesign institutions/instruments of land governance, adjust boundaries and enhance interactions between formal and customary systems by formalizing their relationship, harmonizing legal frameworks, maintaining the autonomy of customary systems, adopting a case-by-case approach, ensuring adoptive and complimentary co-existence, and encouraging continuous improvement and cross-learning. It concludes that the effectiveness of conflict management processes and the interaction between formal and customary systems can be enhanced by prioritising and targeting social, economic and environmental objectives of sustainable development.