Social and Ecological Aspects of Resettlement and Villagization among the Konso of Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

TEKLEMARIAM AYELE(2) This is a study of the changing settlement and land use patterns of the Konso in three peasant associations in southwestern Ethiopia and an evaluation of their attitudes toward government-sponsored villagization in the lowlands. Over the years, the Konso have moved spontaneously from the overpopulated highlands toward lower elevations and have recently begun to cultivate on the Yanda plain, but without settling there. Fear of tropical diseases, armed conflict with pastoralists and the Konso perception of lowland living continue to be powerful deterrents to settlement in the lowlands. Major objectives of the government villagization programme are unlikely to be achieved in the Konso area and may instead lead to disaster unless this programme is drastically revised to provide suitable conditions for resettlement and to meet the specific needs of the population.

The experience of mission hospitals in southern Ethiopia in identifying and responding to infectious disease outbreaks

“…The lowland villages were inhabited by people from the Gidole highlands who had been forcefully relocated to the malarious lowlands. 18 This was the so-called "Villagization program" and was a part of the Communist regime's efforts to politically control the population and settle them in villages, something similar to the collectivization that happened in the former Soviet Union. 19 Thus, efforts to discuss this with the authorities were difficult for two reasons: people were not allowed to move back to their home areas, where there was a lower prevalence of malaria, and the government did not have resources to instigate preventive measures; indoor residual spraying was the tool used at that time.…”