"Sugsa System": An Indigenous Conflict Management

The main aim of this text is to explore how one of the communities in Northern Ethiopia, the Irob, deals with conflict using indigenous mechanism (Sugsa System) for the management of conflict. The study attempted to investigate the root causes of conflict, types (levels) of conflict, the role of women in managing conflict and the relationship between the indigenous mechanisms of conflict management and the formal court system. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made as to how the indigenous mechanism could be used as alternative to the modern court system to prevent and manage the inter-personal, group and communal conflicts. Hence, since the study is the first of its kind in the community, it could provide information to the legislators and others to consider indigenous knowledge, values and customs in relation to conflict management at local level and national level.