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[PANEL] 0501 A VIEW FROM AFAR
Organizers:
Till J. F. TROJER, SOAS, UK
NATHAN Belay, Lecturer, Department of Anthropology at Samara University, Ethiopia
Paper presenters:
MOHAMMED Idriss Moussa; Florian FONTRIER; WORKNEH Yadate; Nicola JONES;
SALEH Mohamed Hassan Laqdé; ANNILEY E. Tessema; Angela RAVEN-ROBERTS
For centuries, different Afar clans have occupied strategic areas along the and beyond the Red Sea in North-East Africa that today stretches beyond the international boundaries of the Djibouti, Ethiopian and Eritrean states. The Afar people are described as having a distinct cultural and linguistic identity as well as independent traditional political systems, which differentiates them clearly from neighbouring groups in North-East Africa. This panel aims to shed new light on the "Afar question" in the region, that in recent years has been often under-explored and under-researched. Building on the celebration of the "Ethiopian Nation, Nationalities and Peoples Day", which is going to be held in Samara, the capital of the Afar regional state in October 2017, this panel invites researchers from all disciplines and academic backgrounds to submit abstract concerning political, social, cultural, linguistic, historical as well as cross-boundary migration and trade aspects of the Afar people living in Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia. This panel further aims to attract researchers to join the Afar Research Group that is currently being initiated by Ethiopian and foreign researchers between Samara University, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the University of Bayreuth (Germany).
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CHALLENGING “HISTORY-WRITING” AND TERMINOLOGIES USED IN RESEARCH ABOUT THE ‘AFAR PEOPLE IN NORTH-EAST AFRICA [Abstract ID: 0501-04]
This presentation challenges frequently used terminologies and the set focus for history-writing about the ‘Afar people in North-East Africa. Terms like ʽAsa Māra (ʽAsā-Yāmarā) and the ʽAdo Māra (ʽAdō-Yāmarā), which have been commonly applied to divide the ‘Afar into two different groups, “nobles” and “commoners” respectively, are found in various publications without well-defined clarifications. The present paper will show that these terms have neither genealogical meanings nor to do they refer to genealogical relations. Moreover, for the greater majority of the ‘Afar people, especially in the middle and north of the ‘Afar Region in Ethiopia, the terms are of no importance in daily life, nor do people attach much significance to them. This presentation also aims to show that research about the history of ‘Afar is almost entirely reduced to the history of five Sultanates of ‘Afar, namely the Sultanates of Awsa, Tajorra, Raḥaytō, Gōbaʽad and Girrifū or Birū and their relation to the central Ethiopian state. These five Sultanates are well known due to their contacts and dealings with European colonialists in the areas near the Red Sea; meanwhile, this focus has left extensive ‘Afar areas un- and understudied. Based on long-term qualitative research in the ‘Afar Region, this paper aims to challenge recent research and history-writing about the ‘Afar by stressing different aspects of the ‘Afar culture, history and traditions. By doing so, the presentation will show that there is huge potential for further long-depth research among the ‘Afar in North-East Africa, which can contribute to better understanding the ‘Afar people in particular and the role of the ‘Afar people in North-East Africa in general.
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DANÂKIL – ZAYLA‘I AND HARLA : CONFLICTS AND POPULATION MOVEMENTS ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE OLD AFAR SETTLEMENT [Abstract ID: 0501-02]
‘Afar, Harla, Danâkil, Ad ‘ali are well-known ethnonyms, however their reality is little known in the early times. Through the written and oral documents available, we propose to paint a commented picture of the population movements that animated the region between southern Eritrea and the region of Zeyla from the 13th century to the modern era. The aim is to rethink the movements of ancient populations and ethnonyms in order to formulate hypotheses that could justify the "disappearance" of a population like the Harla as well as the real place of the Afar populations in the African space in time.
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EXPLORING THE ROLE OF GENDERED SOCIAL NORMS IN SHAPING ADOLESCENT EXPERIENCES IN AFAR [Abstract ID: 0501-06]
This paper explores the experiences of adolescents from pastoralist communities in Afar regional state. Thus far, there is a limited evidence base particularly in regards to the role of gendered social norms in shaping their capability achievements. This paper presents findings framed in terms of a capabilities approach which emphasises investments in adolescent girls and boys as a whole, supporting them to develop the functioning (‘being and doing’) that provides them with the freedom to choose the kind of life they value. In addition to recognising the importance of physical, economic and educational competencies, a capabilities approach highlights the centrality of adolescents’ psychosocial well-being and their ability to exercise both agency and voice in terms of setting and achieving their own goals. The paper draws on mixed methods research: a survey with 500 adolescents and qualitative research with thirty (10-12 years) adolescent girls and boys, and their peers and caregivers in Zone 5 in Afar Regional State conducted in 2017/2018. The data collection is part of the new multi-country "Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence" longitudinal policy research programme funded by the DFID, which aims to better understand how to enhance adolescent development trajectories, including among the most marginalised cohorts, in diverse LMICs. As one of five ‘emerging regions’ in Ethiopia, participation in formal education is still a recent phenomenon in Afar’s rural communities, especially for girls. Conservative social norms around puberty, menstruation and marriage all play a key role in curtailing girls’ continued participation in school once they reach early adolescence. Our findings highlight that only a small minority of girls are able to convert their educations into future economic empowerment. Within this context of curtailed choices, our paper also draws attention to the range of coping strategies that adolescents employ: seeking alliances with influential older brothers to pursue their educations, migration (especially to Djoubti) and suicide ideation in the case of child and forced marriage. The paper concludes by making evidence-informed recommendations about the programming support that adolescents need to ensure health and empowered adolescent to adult transitions, and the particular needs of adolescents from marginalised pastoralist communities.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE QAFAR ORAL LITERATURE [Abstract ID: 0501-09]
The notion of the oral literature, or orature, has never been debated among the native scholars, because they didn’t feel necessity to do so, although there are some traditionally literary genres they can distinguish and classify each one by its name; but not define them yet by one word. The few non-native scholars, who have contributed to the study of the oral literature of the Afars, have done separately on the literary genres either on oral narratives and proverbs, either on the songs. But no one has tried an inclusive essay on the matter by employing the word literature for the oral art, and trying to find a word in the indigenous vocabularies. So, can we speak about the existence of literature where writing has no place, or doesn’t exist, particularly in the case of Afar people, like the other Cushitic neighbors well-known for oral tradition? Is there any indigenous word which could define it, as well as its genres are well distinguished? The present paper based on my personal knowledge as a native will propose to define the afar oral literature by the most proper word, chosen among the usual vocabularies, and to insight the typology of its genres that are recognized as literary expressions, which are either traditional or classical. And it will also attempt some technical words of analyzing the rhetoric in Qafar’af, in a perspective of emphasizing it in its own context.
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QASAHYAAH MARA VS QADOHYAAH MARA DUALITY IN AFAR: EVIDENCE FROM LOWLAND PERIPHERAL AREA [Abstract ID: 0501-07]
The Afar are one of the pastoralist groups in the northeastern part of Ethiopia. They belong to East African lowland Cushitic-speaking groups, like the Somali and the Oromo. They call their language Qafar-af and their land Qafar-Baro. The pastoralist Afar historically divided into two major groups known as Qasahyaah Mara and Qadohyaah Mara. Different interpretations have been coined by different writers (Cossin (1973), Lewis (1998), Thesiger (1935)) about this duality. These writers describe the myth and the relationship of the two groups but none of them analyzed the myth and disclosed the inconsistency behind it. Due to that, there is not a clear and common understanding about the duality. But to have a clear understanding about the two groups, the historical origin of the duality has to be addressed. The difference between the two groups is not related to their primordial attachment or migration history. In addition, this duality does not have any significant impact or difference on the day to day activities of the two groups and there is not any clear-cut boundary nor a noble and commoners division. Rather their difference is socially constructed and emanated from the difference in customary law. The data has been gathered using qualitative research methods.
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THE MODAITO AFAR IN ETHIOPIA: ALLIANCE FORMATION, SOCIO-POLITICAL STRUCTURE AND AUSSA SULTANATES [Abstract ID: 0501-08]
According to Afar legend, the children of Modaibrahim form the Modaito branches of Afar. The Modaito Afar belongs to the Asahimera section and has eight branches called locally “barkha adda” (eight beds), namely Kiube, Hankeba, Arapta, Asab’bekri, Afkei, Mead, Neser, and Agini. These are the sons of the Modaibrahim. Over time, however, as a result of their geographical proximity in their settlement areas and blood relations, they formed an alliance. Politically, economically, and socially, the Modaito Afar organized themselves on the basis of the clan settlement pattern and clan territoriality. They have strongly maintained their socio-political organizational and hierarchical structure despite changes in social, economic, and political conditions. For a long period of history, the Modaito Afar were led by different Sultans locally called Amoita. The Sultans were appointed in Aussa, currently located between Ayisaita and Afambo districts in the Lower Awash Valley. Because of its resource endowment and military force, the Aussa Sultanate was much more influential than the other Afar sultanates. The introduction of large-scale, state-sponsored irrigation farming in the Awash Valley during the Imperial regime completely changed the social, economic and political situation of the Aussa Sultan. This paper will present the descent history, clan structure, social organization and organizational principles, and the role of women in the formation of clan identity and clan alliance among the Modayito Afar. The data was obtained using qualitative research methods.
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WITNESS TO TRANSFORMATION: A BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE AFAR MARGINS. [Abstract ID: 0501-01]
In 1985 the Afar community living in the present region of Adelele were stricken by a severe drought causing death to livestock and household members. The remaining community dispersed to resettlement sites in Gambella and a majority of their women, children and elderly collected in a feeding shelter run by an NGO on behalf of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission. As the international response gained its traction in Ethiopia and NGOs began to work in the region one remarkable Afar woman stepped forward to represent her clan and 'engage' with government and intervening agencies alike to 'direct' aid and be a spokesperson for ensuing transformations in the community. Today the region is a zonal capital feed by a major road and in echoing distance to a new railway connecting the Awash to Makelle and the woman has an official role in the governance structure of the federal system. This paper based on a 30 year contact with this community will track the history of 'local interventions' in the southern Afar regions, examine changing gender and generational issues and document 'history from below' through the eyes of a local community leader and an external agency participant.