Spilling Blood over Water? The he of Ethiopia 275
more scarce clans stopped being accommodative to each other ... The tradi-
tional values of solidarity on the question of land use and tenure ... were [sic]
destroyed."" The ruling highland elite who border and were encroaching onto
traditional Afar lands in the north promoted individual ownership of land and
property in Afar, as they did elsewhere. Contact between outside developers
and the Afar evolved into ever more violent conflict as the Afar became
increasingly marginalised from their lands and sought alternative areas to
graze their herds. At the same time the highland population to the north and
north-east of Afar areas was growing and looking for new lands to cultivate.112
In the 1980s a development project was initiated in the middle pan of the
valley (near Awash Town). Financed by the European Community (though
other donors funded the project, including the World Bank), the Amibara
project illustrates how 'development' actually exacerbated conflict in the val-
ley. The project focused on developing large-scale commercial agricultural
schemes. It displaced Afar clans, and, by disrupting dry and wet season graz-
ing patterns, particularly in and near to the Alledighi Plain, it increased the
likelihood of conflict between Afar and Issa pastoralists. The Alledighi Plain
is a vast fecund area with abundant resources. However, as Desta Asfaw
explains, "neither the Afar nor the Issa use it because, as if by mutual agree-
ment, it is reserved as a battlefield. The contestants move around this con-
tested area with their livestock heavily guarded by a military escort."u3
By 1997, it was estimated that 52 000 hectares of dry and wet season graz-
ing land was lost. Of this 23 000 hectares (44%) had been lost owing to the
direct encroachment onto pastoralist lands through the development of irri-
gation schemes, many of which were located in the higher potential grazing
areas.u4 Environmental problems, such as salinisation, worsened. The wide-
spread loss of grazing areas used by pastoralists stressed natural resources
that were still accessible, particularly during periods of drought. During
drought, it was common for the Afar to slaughter calves to save the mother
and to trek long distances to collect fodder for milking cows. The most des-
perate response of Afar stricken by drought was to allow their herds to invade
the cotton fields of the irrigation schemes.
Today, at least 80% of the indigenous population in the Afar River Basin
rely on subsistence production systems, predominately transhumant animal
husbandry. Few Afar have settled along the banks of the Awash River or have
settled in towns along major transport routes.lls The basin lacks most senr-
ices, including hospitals and schools, and there is a low level of education.
Persistent drought remains a problem in the basin with several zones experi-
encing increasing scarcity of water and animal fodder.
In addition, the recent conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea has displaced
some 30 000 Afar close to the disputed border.lI6 The presence of large con-
tingents of armed forces in the area resulted in the further depletion of local
resources and the commandeering of equipment meant to benefit pastoralist