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The southern part of the western lowlands, the Berentu area, is the dwelling place of the Kunama and Nara tribes which are of Nilotic origin like the inhabitants of western Ethiopia and southern Sudan.

Historical context

The Nara were forcibly Islamicized, depriving them of the equality that had existed between the sexes. The Kunama remain matrilineal and approximately one-third are Christian. Tropical diseases and periodic slave raids from Sudan and Ethiopia diminished the number and significance of this agricultural society of Kunama peoples. They have had a deep distrust of the EPLF and have been repressed for years because they are seen to be close to Ethiopia.

During the 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia, some 4,000 Kunama fled as refugees to Ethiopia. The refugees were for the most part inhabitants of two villages along the border that had been occupied by Ethiopian forces; they feared Eritrean accusations that they had helped the invaders, feared conscription of themselves or family members into the Eritrean Army, and so withdrew with Ethiopian forces. The government in Asmara resettled war veterans and repatriating refugees, largely from the majority Tigrinya ethnic group, on the vacated land. Kunama land is in one of the most fertile areas of Eritrea. A government official told IRIN News of the Kunama refugees in 2002, ‘As far as we are concerned they are abductees. People don't go voluntarily with an invading army. And if they did go voluntarily, in the midst of war, then they are not refugees. They must be sent home.' Ethiopia settled the refugees in a camp near the disputed border town of Badme, where they live in difficult conditions and without access to their pastoralist lifestyle.

Current issues

In recent years the Kunama refugee camp in northern Ethiopia has swelled to a population of over 13,000 as Eritreans of other ethnicity seek refuge from their government's harsh military conscription policies.

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LIFE WITH INDIGENOUS KUNAMA TRIBE

Many scholars agree that the Kunama and Nara are the first settlers of the contemporary Ethiopia and Eritrea. However, the isolation and subjugation of Kunama people goes centuries back in Ethiopian and Eritrean history. Consequently the indigenous Kunama people have been migrating from one place to another hoping to defend themselves.

The recent statistics of the Kunama tribe in Eritrea indicates only two percent out of five million of the Eritrean population. The maternal kinship and egalitarian based culture are the two unique brands of Kunama tribe. Struggling for harsh daily life and engaging in communal life also are the strong values and customs of the Kunama tribe. Above all the fertile land of the Eritrean Kunama land drives attraction of other Eritrean tribes, especially the Tigrinya tribe whom live in high lands of the Eritrea. The scrambling of the Eritrean Tigrinya tribe to the indigenous Kunama land sporadically engages to unnecessary confrontation.

Yes, at about the end of Ethiopian and Eritrean border crisis there was unfounded and fabricated excuses that aimed to the indigenous Eritrea Kunama tribe. Regrettably, it was not only excuse but claimed invaluable life of many innocent Kunama tribes along side the Barentu River as well as in the bushes of (Baalak) just outskirt of Barentu city. Considerable number of other innocent Kunama tribe also thrown to prison.

Segregation and systematic ethnic cleansing also other big concerns that the Eritrean indigenous Kunama people experiencing. Currently many Kunama fellows could not cultivate in their fertile fields. The systematic eviction that gradually being passed to the other Eritrean ethnic groups becoming more familiar. Very recently the Eritrea government resettled dozens villages from Eritrean highlands, without consulting the habitants of the area. Rule of law is another big blow in the Eritrean land. The indigenous people could not defend themselves in front of law.

Unlike other Eritrean tribes the indigenous Kunama people do not migrate to other countries looking for better life. They prefer to challenge the external pressure inside their homeland. As a community the indigenous Kunama tribes smashed so many invaders and tolerated the deadly famine being along side with their loved ones inside their homeland. The Indigenous Kunama people have unique gratitude and love in their homeland. It is hardly possible to an indigenous Kunama person to adore and serve the beauty of other nations. Despite to all this facts, currently the indigenous Kunama tribe forced to flee their love home country, others still anguishing inside military prisons.

The elders of the indigenous Kunama tribe strongly believe and seek for a good neighboring with all human kind in their surrounds. Religious, race, color and cultural differences could not draw the attention of any Kunama indigenous to react against his/her neighbor. They vividly engage in inter-communication with all human kind.

Marbati Amren

Posted by Amren Marbati on 14 September 2011
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