Graph One: The organizational structure of YeSiltie Melcho
4.5. Kinship Assemblies (YeSiltinet Shengo)
The second category of the Siltie local governance that is led by a kinship-based system is called YeSiltinet Shengo. It has multi-layered institutions. The first institution is called YeAbotgar Shengo.
4.5.1. Patrilineal Assembly (YeAbotgar Shengo)
YeAbotgar Shengo is a family forum which comprises those individuals who have common ties through their patrilineage line. YeAbotgar members have agnatic lines, and they have common ancestor through male lines. It is the elder male line of the family member that leads the forum.
The head of the forum is called Dagna or Mesaki.
YeMula-Siltie Melcho(Gogot)
Territorial Levels Kinship levels
YeBurda Serra/Baliqe
YeAbotgar Shengo
YeAzegag Shengo YeAabotweld Shengo
YeMewta Serra Yegicho Serra
YeBadenet Serra/Shengo YeSiltinet Shengo/YeMula Siltie Serra
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However, he is also known as Murra. YeAbotgar council works in parallel with Burda territorial level of administration, which is indicative of the existence of plural political and legal systems at the grassroots level. It observes issues like family disputes, ethical violations and boundary disputes among the members of YeAbotgar lines or Burda. YeAbotgar Shengo mainly deals with disputes at Burda level. However, the higher administrative levels such as Azegag and Mewta refer their cases also to YeAbotgar Shengo if the culprit becomes a member of the YeAbotgar line. In this case, the Murra is expected to take the issue to YeAbotgar council and discuss it with members of the father line of the culprit. The members then discuss the case with the accused person and encourage him to confess the truth, i.e. whether he/she has committed the crime or not. The Murra also forces the members of YeAbotgar to present the accused to the YeAbotgar Shengo on appointed time. Then, the culprit and the victim are expected to submit their defenses to the judge who is known as Maga at this level to show their innocence and problems respectively. In this case, YeAbotgar Shengo plays a great role making the accused admit the crime he/she has committed. The perpetrator, if found guilty, is expected to pay blood price if the case is murder. YeAbotgar is in charge of collecting the blood money or Gumma as per YeSiltie Serra norm. According to the norm, the party in conflict can collect the compensation for murder, which is locally referred to as blood money as follows. The party collects 2/3 of the blood money from his male's lineage (Abotgare), and 1/3rd from his/her female's lineage (Ummegae). YeAbotgar Shengo plays a great role in identifying the hidden crimes that have been committed by the members of same father line at various socio-political units of YeSiltieSerra. It is also paramount in investigating some disputable issues like murder cases that pass from Azegag and Mewta structures. The Shengo also has a role to play in helping the works of clan leaders like Moro. YeAbotgar is thus the smallest lineage administrative unit that generates its rules and regulations to regulate the daily activities of its members. Despite the fact that men mainly dominate YeAbotgar Shengo, women are also crucial in resolving the social problem of the society, especially with their circle. They, for instance, contribute 1/3rd of the blood price (Gumma). My women informants indicated that they initiate domestic violence cases to be considered by the Shengo whenever it happens.
Abotgare forum is also the vibrant and possibly more important form of kin-based local governance the community employs to resolve some issues including domestic violence, property disputes like land, murder and other grave crimes in the area.
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Nevertheless, those matters that have not been settled by YeAbotgar Shengo will pass to the next lineage unit in the tiers of lineage groupings: YeAabotweld Shengo.
4.5.2. Patrilineal and Matrilineal Assemblies (YeAabotweld Shengo)
The word Abotweld among the Siltie stands for relatives of a given individual that can trace their kin both from his father and mother lines. YeAabotweld Shengo thus comprises those kin groups that can trace their relatives from both the Abotgae and the Ummegae. YeAabotweld Dagna or Murra lead the Shengo. It considers those cases that can pass from YeAbotgar Shengo.
The members of Abotweld assume that they have a common ancestor that unites them to resolve their social and economic problems. Accordingly, whenever a member of Abotweld is suspected of committing a crime, it is the responsibility of Abotweld forum to search and persuade the suspect about the case. If he/she is found guilty of murder, members will pay and contribute their shares of the blood price to resolve the problem. YeAabotweld lineage structure is found below clan level. It summons whenever a need arises. Although the members do not meet regularly, they control various social problems in different social settings among members. It works in the Azegag or YeGenet territorial levels. It helps the local legal expert or the Raga especially in providing witnesses and decisions of lower legal expert tantamount to first instant court judge, Maga, in his conciliation process. YeAbotgar Shengo considers various issues among different families that range from four to six villages.
4.5.3. Clan Assembly (Yegicho Serra)
The word Gicho stands for clan among the Siltie. Yegicho Serra is clan level forum where elders discuss various local socio-economic and political issues and deliberate on matters relating to the natural environment, conflicts in the family and among the clan members or even other clans in the society. Yegicho Serra also organizes Yurbat and Yeqebere Serra (dinner and funeral ceremonies) respectively. Clan leaders discuss how to regulate the socio-economic activities of the society including settling disputes. The clan leader is called Moro. The Moros are men who lead their clan members and discuss the clan with other clans in the inter-clan meetings. Moros are thus local actors who control the political and legal offices in the society. A clan’s Moro is in charge of maintaining the social order (Wegeret) of the clan members. It is the duty of the Moro and local religious leaders to organize the society to come together in an open field or town square to invoke their God, Allah for rain.
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In this regard, various rituals play important roles in bringing the society for a common purpose.
The Gicho Dagna at this level acts as customary court judge86 who plays a significant role to resolve various disputes within the clan and neighboring clan members. The Siltie call inter-clan meeting Gogot, which means unity. Gicho meeting takes place monthly to discuss the various socio- economic and local political issues. Thus, Yegicho Serra plays a significant role in resolving various conflicts among its members and its environs. The Siltie’s concept of dispute as they call it teshinenot or zena implies disagreement between individuals or groups over ideas, property or other resources that lead to disputes that involve the exchange of hot words to physical combats. Thus, it is the responsibility of local actors including clan leaders to diffuse the tensions between disputants. Thus, if a given individual commits a crime either intentionally or unintentionally, it is the Moro or Yebad Baliqes (elders) who are to find out whether the culprit's ancestors have committed Berche as a way of tracing the root of the crimes she/he has committed. Thus, the person is expected to purify him/herself from such remnants of evil things through compensation or Afeytu (forgiveness).
However, if he/she commits murder, his/her clan members are responsible for paying the blood price (Gumma) to the family of the dead person. In this regard, even though the offender is capable of paying the Gumma him/herself, YeSiltieSerra norm does not allow them to do so. This is because it is believed that the crimes of the offender will be transmitted to his/her clan members as part of Berche. Thus, the convicted person is expected to go to every part of his/her clan members to collect the compensation. This act also serves as condolences or grief sharing on the part of the offender to show that his/her heart is deeply broken by the loss of the deceased.
This act is also considered as ritual purification. Yegicho Chale is a significant force to implement the decisions of elders in executing homicide related or other disputes.
86 Interview with Azma Jabir who is a Dagna or leader of the Four Abalcho Clans on September 12/ 2014 in Lanfuro Wereda.
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Figure 5 Customary Court Sessions hearing both Civil and Crime cases while inter-clan leader Girazmach Hussien handling dispute case in the right side Dalocha Town (September 2014)
The leaders at this level are also called Azma, Gerad, and Moro. The Siltie clans mainly administer themselves independently in their areas. They are a semi-autonomous social field, as they develop their rules and regulations to regulate the daily activities of its members.
Nevertheless, if any individual commits a crime and flees to any other clans, they exchange and extradite the convict to his members to be judged by his leaders. They then come together under the leadership of Gerad Abo who is considered as the spiritual and political head of the society.
According to FGD participants87, although the clan system is an institution on its own, all clans are answerable to the central ruler of the society, Gerad Abo.
87, This is based on FGD that was conducted with Ato Dilebo Gebre, Ato Kairedin Azma Hussein, Hajji Abdurrahman Shewajo, and Hajji Hussein Barsebo on April 16/2016 in Werabe Town.
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My informants’ further indicated that clan leaders consider the property disputes, murder cases, domestic violence and disputes over grazing land. Those issues which are beyond Yegicho Serra will be passed to the next and final level of administration, YeMula Siltie Melcho. My personal observation among the Siltie reveals, however, that clans are very powerful local institutions in the area.