The Gambela Region
The Gambela Region, officially known as the Gambela People’s Regional State, is located in the southwestern lowlands of Ethiopia along the international border with South Sudan. The region lies within the fertile Baro River basin and is geographically characterized by extensive wetlands, savannas, and major river systems, including the Openo (Baro), Gilo, Akobo, and Alwero rivers. Gambela shares its western and northern boundary with South Sudan, making it a strategic humanitarian and commercial corridor in the Horn of Africa. Within Ethiopia, Gambela is bordered by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) to the south and southeast, by Oromia Region to the north and east, and by Benishangul-Gumuz Region to the northeast. This geographic positioning has historically fostered cross-border movements, cultural exchange, and political complexity (Hagos, 2021).
Gambela is historically home to several indigenous ethnic groups, most notably the Anywaa (Anuak), Majang, Opo, and Komo, whose identities, languages, and territorial claims predate the modern Ethiopian–South Sudanese border (Human Rights Watch, 2005). Among these, the Anywaa are primarily agriculturalists and fishing communities who traditionally settle along riverbanks, maintaining a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the land and the rivers of the region (Human Rights Watch, 2005). The Majang, largely forest-dwelling agriculturalists, occupy the Majang Zone and maintain distinct social and linguistic traditions. These groups are recognized as the indigenous peoples of Gambela and have long maintained governance systems based on customary land ownership and ancestral rights (Okok, 2025).
In contrast, the Nuer are not indigenous to the Gambela Region. Historically, the Nuer are a Nilotic pastoralist group whose homeland lies primarily in what is now South Sudan, particularly the Upper Nile areas around Nasir, Fangak, and Akobo (Hagos, 2021). Their movement into Ethiopian territory occurred largely through seasonal migration and cross-border movements that long preceded modern state boundaries. Still, their population in Gambela expanded dramatically in the mid-twentieth century, primarily due to large-scale refugee inflows from conflicts in Sudan and later South Sudan (Ayele, 2023). These movements accelerated during the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972), the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005), and the post-independence conflict beginning in 2013, when hundreds of thousands of displaced people, predominantly Nuer, were forced to flee into Ethiopia (Wilson Center, 2017). Ethiopia responded by establishing multiple refugee camps, including Pinyudo, Tierkidi, Kule, Jewi, and Itang, transforming Gambela into one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting regions (World Bank, 2020).
The arrival and settlement of large Nuer refugee populations significantly altered the demographic and political landscape of Gambela. Human Rights Watch (2005) notes that the refugee population at certain periods exceeded the host population, shifting the numerical balance and intensifying competition for land, identity recognition, and political representation. Over time, some Nuer refugees gained access to Ethiopian identity documents and integrated into regional structures, leading to what scholars describe as contested and politically mediated pathways to citizenship (Okok, 2025). Ethiopia’s weak constitutional mechanisms regarding refugee naturalization and decentralization of identity administration created conditions in which citizenship decisions could be influenced by local or regional political interests (Globalcit, 2023). As a result, some Nuer individuals who originally entered Ethiopia as refugees now hold public offices or other governmental positions in Gambela, while still being considered refugees only when residing in camps (Hagos, 2021).
For indigenous groups such as the Anywaa, the rapid demographic expansion and political empowerment of non-indigenous newcomers has generated deep concerns over cultural survival, land rights, and self-governance. Many Anywaa view the changing power balance as a form of structural displacement, despite the absence of physical relocation (Human Rights Watch, 2005). Reports describe periodic violent conflict between Anywaa and Nuer communities, fueled by distrust, resource competition, and disputes over political legitimacy (Wilson Center, 2017).
Today, Gambela stands as a complex region where local indigenous identity, historical cross-border movement, and modern global displacement intersect. The region remains environmentally significant, home to Gambela National Park and major wildlife migration routes, and economically promising due to fertile agricultural land and natural resources. Yet, the unresolved tension between indigenous rights and refugee-driven demographic transformation continues to shape its political and social future. Understanding Gambela requires recognizing both its deeply rooted indigenous heritage and the profound impact of refugee dynamics on regional stability and identity.
References
Ayele, S. (2023). A history of Southern Sudan refugees in Gambella, Ethiopia from 1955–2000. East African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Globalcit. (2023). Unblocking access to citizenship in the global south: Should the process be decentralised?
Hagos, S. Z. (2021). Refugees and local power dynamics: The case of the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik.
Human Rights Watch. (2005). Targeting the Anuak: Human rights violations and humanitarian concerns in Ethiopia’s Gambella region.
Okok, K. (2025). Contested citizenship through ethnic naturalization in Gambela Regional State of Ethiopia. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 13(2).
Wilson Center. (2017). Security implications of hosting refugees: The case of South Sudanese refugees in Gambella, Southwestern Ethiopia.
World Bank. (2020). Impact of refugees on hosting communities in Ethiopia: A social analysis.