LocationsRestitching the Social Fabric through Indigenous Systems
February 9, 2026
For generations, communities across Ethiopia have relied on indigenous peace custodians, such as religious leaders, elders, and respected community members to resolve disputes and prevent violence.
In northern Ethiopia, the Aba Gars, also known as Abo Gerebs, mediate over land, water, pasture, and livestock. These traditional bodies carry weight, sometimes more weight locally than a court decision.
During the recent conflict in northern Ethiopia, the relationships and communication that made this traditional system work was torn apart.
Today, as areas rebuilt after conflict, Aba Gars are re-engaging, supported by local authorities to reconnect communities, restore trust, revive markets, and tackle harmful practices such as early marriage and SGBV.
When the System Fell Silent
In Raya Chercher, a border area between Tigray and Afar’s Yalo Woreda, Aba Gars once coordinated across communities to stop disputes from escalating: mediating grazing access, discouraging revenge, and pursuing cross‑border criminals, often handing perpetrators to authorities and ensuring compensation when killings occurred. After 2020, communication collapsed. Fear replaced familiarity, and mistrust spread quickly. As one Aba Gar, Alemu Tegene, put it: “We were separated after 2020 because of the conflict.”
Training as a Turning Point
To rebuild peace from within communities, regional and woreda authorities worked to revitalise the Aba Gars system through targeted training and structured dialogue. Aba Gars strengthened practical mediation skills, including conflict prevention, information sharing, and community responsibility. They returned home to convene forums addressing inter-community tensions alongside issues that deepen vulnerability after war: early‑age marriage, FGM, and SGBV. The results show up in everyday life: stolen property is returned, rumours are challenged early, movement resumes, and market days begin to reappear.
Dialogue Reopens the Road
In Raya Chercher, trained Aba Gars created space for conversations that led to a joint peace conference with Yalo—the first formal engagement between the two sides since the conflict. Afterwards, communication resumed gradually, and communities agreed on shared responsibilities: returning stolen property, joint use of grazing land, and cooperation to apprehend criminals.
Trust also revived local economies. As elder mediator Tigabu Mola observed: “We go to Yalo market, and the Afar community comes to Chercher market. Business has resumed, and we now truly understand the value of peace.”
From Moral Authority to Formal Rules
Revival wasn’t only about restoring relationships; it also meant strengthening accountability. Aba Gars were supported to draft community-approved bylaws that set clearer rules, fines, and procedures.
In Raya Chercher, compensation standards were formalized, and mediation outcomes are now documented and submitted to authorities, enabling review and alignment with formal justice processes. The result is a system where tradition doesn’t bypass the law; it helps communities access resolution in places where court processes may be slow or distant.
Coordination that Delivers Results
In Habru Woreda (Amhara), coordination between the Peace and Security Office, Aba Gars and officials have been formalised. Aba Gars received training on early warning, illegal migration, early marriage, and gender‑based violence, aligning community mediation with legal standards.
The outcome is measurable: recorded conflicts declined over time, and every recorded case in recent years was resolved after the partnership was strengthened. Accountability measures were also clarified. In Habru, standardized fines distinguish between one million ETB for intentional “Tiqur Dem” (Dark Blood) and 500,000 ETB for unintentional killing “Qeiy Dem” (Red Blood); reinforcing predictable consequences and discouraging retaliation.
When Peace Moves Faster than Rumour
After cross-community dialogues, young people helped sustain communication through evening Telegram conferences, allowing verified information to travel faster than rumours that can trigger violence. In one major peace dialogue in Hara, involving more than 3,000 people, communities agreed on compensation and joint committees. As a result, livestock was returned on both sides, helping restore market linkages and reducing incentives for revenge.
Women at the Peace Table
To address gaps in participation, the three woredas followed an integrated Women, Peace and Security (WPS) approach. Women Peace Committees (WPCs) now operate in 35 kebeles. So far, 591 women have been trained in conflict resolution, human rights monitoring, and GBV prevention - 10 in Abergele (Amhara), 9 in Raya Chercher, and 16 in Ofla (Tigray). To improve access to justice, 201 women were trained as community paralegals, supporting dispute resolution and referrals.
The model is expanding. Abala Woreda (Afar) has also established a WPC and trained members in mediation and negotiation, with a focus on addressing SGBV and strengthening women’s leadership in conflict response.
Changing Norms, Not Only Settling Disputes
In Bati, Aba Gars, and local authorities are tackling harmful practices at their roots. Early‑age marriage has been banned, and religious leaders now require age certificates (and, in some settings, HIV test results) before conducting weddings.
Community education is also challenging FGM (Mekrema), while long wedding celebrations have been curtailed to reduce economic pressure on families. This is an important step for communities to rebuild after conflict.
Progress and the Work Ahead
In Bati, sustained mediation helped end a two-year conflict between Burqa and Gofa kebeles, reopening space for recovery and drawing attention, including coverage by Deutsche Welle Amharic.
Challenges remain: Aba Gars often lack transport and office space, and unresolved killings can still fuel fear and mistrust. Yet the direction is clear. Strengthened by training, connected to formal systems, and made more inclusive through women’s and youth leadership, Aba Gars are helping communities move from fractured trust toward cooperation, one dialogue, one agreement, and one reopened market at a time.
Across Afar, Amhara, and Tigray, local authoritiesm, supported through the UNDP Peace Support Facility, delivered 36 trainings to 12,569 people, facilitated 8 peace forums, and organised 7 peace dialogues.
The Peace Support Facility is funded by Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands, as well as Denmark, Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea who contribute through UNDP's Funding Windows.
The Peace Support Facility works to advance durable peace across conflict‑affected areas of Afar, Amhara, and Tigray by driving swift, scalable, and locally led stabilization efforts. Guided by a government‑led HDP Nexus approach, the Facility strengthens trust between communities and local authorities by restoring core government functions, reviving essential social services, and supporting economic opportunities. These efforts lay the groundwork for long‑term recovery, resilience, and sustainable peacebuilding.