# Ethnic violence in Konso

The conflict in Konso is part of a series of ethnic-based violence in Ethiopia. UN OCHA reported that its Early warning department of SNNPR categorized Konso as a priority hot spot area. Repeated conflict and the issue of adverse weather exacerbated the existing humanitarian crisis in the Zone. Interpersonal ethnic violence are deepening into serious human rights violations and suffering, with the ethnic federalism system that drew formal administrative divisions with regional boundaries falling along ethnic lines.

## Background and events of the Konso conflict

This is the background for some southern ethnic habitation since the 1990s and the timeline of the Konso conflict.
| Period | Event and land administration | Description | Date |
| Pre-1994 | Independent Woredas | Amaro, Burji, Derashe, Konso, and Alle | Prior to the 1994 ethnic federalism |
| During and pre-EPRDF | Special Woreda with Semi-autonomous administrative setup | Amaro, Burji, Derashe, and Konso. Special Woredas directly report to SNNR (not to Zone) | During and pre-EPRDF |
| During and pre-EPRDF | Minorities in Konso and Derashe Special Woredas | Alle (also known as Dhobasse in Derashe, or Gewada in Konso) | During and pre-ERDF |
| During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Derashe Special Woreda | Dirasha, Mossiye, Masholle and Kussume, and the Alle (Dhobasse) as minority | During and pre-EPRDF |
| During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Konso Special Woreda | Majority Konso, and Gewada (Alle) as minority | During and pre-EPRDF |
| During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Amaro Special Woreda | the Kore ethnic group | During and pre-EPRDF |
| During and pre-EPRDF | Residents of the Burji Special Woreda | the Burji ethnic group | post-1994 |
| During EPRDF with ethnic federalism | Alle minority sought independence | The Alle minority wanted to pursue its own Special Woreda | post-1994 |
| During EPRDF | Start of dispute with removal of Special Woredas as a temporary solution | Formation of Segan Area People's Zone by the ruling SNNPR and the regional party, SEPDM | 28 March 2011 |
| During EPRDF | The Segan Area Zone incorporated various ethnic groups from various Woredas, including Alle | Alle, Burji, Dirasha, Konso (Xonsita), Kore, Kusumie, Mashole and Moseye, and others (Oromo, Welayta, Amhara, Gurage) | post-1994 |
| During EPRDF | Konso protest and imprisonment | Resistance by the Konso population and movement to establish Konso Zone. Other issues: dispute over a decision to keep Gumade as Zone capital city City of Segan's (Gumade) versus the Konsos’ city (Karat) | 2016 |
| post-EPRDF | Release of the Konso prisoners | Abiy Ahmed announced the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia | 2018 |
| post-EPRDF | Dissociation from the Segan Zone | Konso and Ale's groups split from Segan Zone | November 2018 |
| post-EPRDF | Konso became an independent Zone | Violence triggered due to administrative border and leadership disputes. 66 people killed in 17 Kebeles. 39 people injured with more than 130,000 IDPs, and 137 people arrested. | 2018 to November 2020 |
| During Prosperity Party ruling | Attack in Segan town of Konso | Unidentified militants reportedly attacked a restaurant. 3 people killed and 5 injured | August 2021 |
| During Prosperity Party ruling | Intercommunal violence in SNNPR | 70,000 IDPs in Konso | 2020 to 2021 |
| During Prosperity Party ruling | Killings with disputed agricultural land | Unidentified militia clashed with Konso ethnic militia & SNNPR special forces in Dimaya, Konso Zone resulted in unknown number of fatalities. Dimaya is border between Alle and Konso special Woredas | 26 March 2022 |
| During Prosperity Party ruling | Segan's revenue officer shot and killed | Unidentified militia killed 1 officer while eating dinner at a restaurant | 26 March 2022 |
| During Prosperity Party ruling | Segan's revenue officer shot and killed | Unidentified armed men from Alle killed 9 and injured 13 people in Dimiya, Segen, and Kolme cluster areas in Konso zone. The gun men burned down several homes | 27 March 2022 |
| During Prosperity Party ruling | Civilians, and other killed in Segan | Unidentified armed men from Derashe shot and killed 1 Kebele officer, 1 local militia member and 2 civilians | 31 March 2022 |