The ongoing political crisis in Gambella has led many Nuer in Gambella to question whether meaningful change can come from the current political establishment. For those who have watched the conflict unfold over the past several years, the Gambella Parliament is increasingly viewed as part of the problem rather than the institution that will deliver a solution.
Many members of the Parliament from the Anyuak community are happy to continue the hegemonic policy while the Nuer members of parliament from Gambella kowtowed to this toxic idealogy.
They are ordinary Nuer outside the politic who question the response of senior Nuer officials within the regional government. In particular, the Office of the Vice President under Thankuey and now under Dr. Gatluak Ruon, has not exercised sufficient political leadership regarding the attacks against Nuer civilians or in advocating stronger security measures.
From this perspective, political office has not translated into meaningful representation or protection for the community. Since the Anyuak started the killing spree on Nuer, neither Vice President, Thankuey nor Dr. Gatluak ever made a phone call to the Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed about what the Anyuak elites are doing to the Nuer in Gambella.
A central issue in this debate is the relationship between population size and political power. Many Nuer are traumatised with the state of affairs in Gambella getting humiliated by a population which is just a fraction of their size. Despite being the largest ethnic community, Nuer have not enjoyed political influence proportional to their demographic strength.
Political authority in Gambella has been shaped more by historical alliances, institutional arrangements, and regional power dynamics than by the principle of majority representation.
The Anyuak population in Gambella is approximately 90,000, excluding Anyuak communities living in Pochalla County in South Sudan whereas the Ethiopian Nuer population exceeds half a million, concentrated mainly in the Nuer Zone and other parts of Gambella.
With that populalation that is four times less than the Nuer, the Anyuak have the Presidency, the Finance, the Judiciary, the Audit, the regional Police commission post as well as many other positions.
Such positions raise important political question: why has the larger community struggled to translate its demographic advantage into effective political representation?
For many Nuer, the answer lies not in electoral numbers but in the structure of political power. They believe that their community has repeatedly found itself disadvantaged in political negotiations and government institutions as those who led them choose to be timid despite Nuer numerical strength. Nuer leaders are of a no show even whenn their own loved ones are slaughtered.
The violence and insecurity reported in parts of Gambella have further deepened this sense of political frustration. Recent incidents, including the killing of a Nuer man in Itang Special Woreda, have reinforced concerns among many Nuer that government institutions have failed to provide adequate protection and accountability.
Nuer public officials in Itang pressured Nuer employees to return to insecure areas has deepened criticism from those who believe their leaders have failed to prioritize the safety of their own constituents. A meaningful government that care for its people should carefully investigate such allegation.
But Nuer Leaders from Thankuey to Dr. Gatluak lacks the courage not only to prioritise safety measures but even visiting the slain families when the unthinkable occurs. The Office of the Vice President has not exercised sufficient political leadership in responding to attacks against Nuer civilians or in advocating for a stronger security measures.
From this perspective, political office has not translated into meaningful representation or protection for the community.
Ultimately, the crisis in Gambella is not simply about personalities or parliamentary seats. It is about whether political institutions are capable of providing equal protection, fair representation, and public confidence across all communities. Unless these structural issues are addressed, many believe that replacing individual representatives will do little to resolve the deeper political tensions that continue to divide the region.
For those who hold this view, the future of the Nuer community will depend less on the current Gambella Parliament and more on the emergence of accountable leadership, institutional reform, the rule of law, and political arrangements that guarantee security and equal representation for every citizen of Gambella.
