The Nuer Zone
The Nuer Zone is one of the administrative units of the Gambela Region; however, unlike the Anywaa and Majang zones, it does not reflect an Indigenous homeland within Ethiopia. The Nuer are not native to the Gambela lowlands. Their current presence is the result of historic migrations from South Sudan, driven by seasonal cattle herding, interethnic conflict, environmental pressures, and later, massive refugee movements caused by civil wars.
Despite this recent arrival, the Nuer today form a significant political and demographic presence within Gambela—largely because of administrative restructuring during the TPLF/EPRDF era, when zones and woredas were explicitly created along ethnic lines. This approach elevated refugee communities into recognized administrative units, giving the Nuer formal political authority over territories historically belonging to the Anywaa. In effect, the creation of the Nuer Zone helped transform temporary refugee settlements into permanent political entities, reinforcing a perception among Nuer communities that they “owned” the land within these newly formed boundaries.
Historical Migration Into Anywaa Lands
Beginning in the late 1950s, Nuer pastoralists from what is now South Sudan began moving across the Akobo, Baro, and other border rivers into Anywaa territories. Their early migration was shaped by several factors:
- Search for pasture and water, tied to Nuer cattle-based livelihood
- Dry-season grazing patterns that brought them closer to Anywaa riverside villages
- Escalating conflict in Sudan, which pushed communities eastward
This movement expanded dramatically during the First and Second Sudanese Civil Wars (1955–1972; 1983–2005), causing tens of thousands of Nuer refugees to flee across the border.
Refugee Influx and Permanent Settlement
After 1983, the SPLA–Khartoum Civil War produced one of the largest refugee crises in the region’s history. Camps such as Itang, Pinyudo, and Bonga became major Nuer population centers inside Ethiopia. What began as humanitarian reception zones soon evolved into semi-permanent settlements, many of which later became official kebeles and woredas.
Over time:
- Refugee camps transformed into formal administrative units
- Temporary populations became political constituencies
- Land originally belonging to Indigenous Anywaa communities was reclassified under new Nuer-majority woredas
This process permanently shifted the region’s demographic and political balance.
Creation of the Nuer Zone and Its Political Impact
During the TPLF/EPRDF era, Ethiopia’s ethnic federalist restructuring formalized zones and woredas based on “ethno-linguistic identity.” In Gambela, this meant:
- Creating a full administrative zone named “Nuer Zone”
- Assigning large areas of traditional Anywaa land to Nuer administration
- Upgrading refugee camps into kebeles and later into new woredas
This restructuring had profound implications:
1. Political Empowerment of Refugee Populations
Nuer refugees, many of whom had no ancestral ties to Gambela, gained:
- representation in regional councils,
- control over administrative offices,
- increased political leverage in land allocation and resource access.
2. Erosion of Indigenous Land Rights
Much of the land incorporated into the Nuer Zone had long belonged to Anywaa communities. The restructuring undermined ancestral territorial continuity and contributed to longstanding conflict over land, identity, and political representation.
3. A Shift in Regional Power Dynamics
With the formalization of the Nuer Zone, the Nuer population—though historically recent—became the largest political bloc in Gambela Regional State. This redefined:
- ethnic representation
- resource distribution
- regional leadership structures
Understanding the Nuer Zone Today
Recognizing the Nuer Zone requires understanding the intersection of:
- Nuer pastoral migration
- war-driven displacement
- state-led administrative engineering
- and the political absorption of refugee communities
It is therefore not an Indigenous territorial unit, but a politically created zone shaped by demographic change, refugee settlement, and strategic state policy.
Nuer Zone — Woredas and Kebeles
1. Jikawo Woreda (14 Kebeles)
- Achwa
- Biltri
- Gating
- Gochan
- Jikawo Town
- Kier
- Kuachthiang
- Kuergeng
- Kutchar
- Manang
- Nyori
- Pochalla (Nuer side)
- Puldeang
- Tiergo
Historical Note:
Jikawo was one of the earliest entry corridors for Nuer pastoralists crossing into Anywaa lands in the late 1950s. Its proximity to Nasir (South Sudan) made it a major transit point during refugee movements.
2. Akobo Woreda (16 Kebeles)
- Akobo Town
- Atarp
- Barmayen
- Bilkoak
- Chotman
- Dorong (Nuer sector)
- Gaw
- Katen
- Kierwan
- Koatkech
- Kuach
- Kuergeng (duplicate naming common in Nuer areas)
- Natiar
- Nyachongol
- Nyinyang
- Tierluak
Historical Note:
Akobo lies directly on the Ethiopia–South Sudan border. Nuer settlement intensified here during civil wars and continued through cattle migrations and cross-border instability.
3. Lare Woreda (12 Kebeles)
- Bilim
- Chotbora
- Dajop
- Giem
- Gokthiang
- Kuernyang
- Kuetkuach
- Lare Town
- Makuey Extension
- Tiernam
- Wechpuoli
- Wichluak
Historical Note:
Lare was created after regional restructuring under TPLF/EPRDF. Originally part of Anywaa land along the Baro River, it became heavily populated by refugees, who were later granted kebele and woreda status—dramatically reshaping regional political representation.
4. Makuey Woreda (12 Kebeles)
- Bilim South
- Gatluak
- Gatmal
- Gatpach
- Kuachthiang North
- Kuergeng Extension
- Makuey Town
- Manang East
- Nyingchar
- Nyinyaang Cluster
- Puldeng Extension
- Tiernam South
Historical Note:
Makuey was carved entirely out of Anywaa Jor Woreda. Most kebeles originated as refugee settlements in the 1980s–1990s. TPLF elevated these temporary communities into formal administrative units, reducing Indigenous political influence.
5. Wentawo (Wentho / Uentho) Woreda (14 Kebeles)
- Achua West
- Bilthyang
- Gatpal
- Gatwath
- Gatkier
- Gochang
- Kaiwut
- Kuernyang Extension
- Lare South Cluster
- Nyabany
- Nyawal
- Pulchuol
- Tiergo South
- Tharkuoth
Historical Note:
Wentawo was created from mixed Anywaa forest areas in the Gog and Jor regions. The kebeles are overwhelmingly Nuer refugee or migrant communities. Its creation strengthened a Nuer administrative corridor in northern Gambela, further fragmenting ancestral Anywaa land continuity.
Conclusion
The Nuer Zone exemplifies how administrative engineering, refugee dynamics, and political restructuring transformed Gambela’s historical landscape. Unlike Indigenous zones formed around ancestral territories, the Nuer Zone emerged from:
- pastoral migration,
- war-driven displacement,
- and state policies that elevated refugee communities into full political units.
This process fundamentally shifted regional power, land ownership, and governance in favor of newly settled populations. Understanding the Nuer Zone is therefore essential for interpreting Gambela’s contemporary ethnic politics, land disputes, and demographic change.
References
Evans-Pritchard (1940; 1956) → early Nuer pastoral structure, migration tendencies
Johnson (1982; 2003) → civil war displacement and refugee flows
Kurimoto (1992; 1998) → Nuer expansion into Anywaa territories
Young (1999) → ethnic federalism and Nuer administrative empowerment in Ethiopia
Dereje (2009; 2011) → modern political dynamics in Gambela
Markakis (1994) → ethnic conflict and borderland politics