Identifying the causes and implications of Murle’s Child Abduction Practice, and its impact on children: A case study on Ethiopia and South Sudan

The aim of the study is to investigate the causes and impacts of Murle's cross-border child abduction practice and its impact on children in Ethiopia's Gambella region. In order to achieve the aims of this study, a qualitative method is used based on semi-structured interviews. Altogether, twenty-five people were interviewed, nine of whom were under 20 years old. Of the sample respondents, fifteen were interviewed in the city of Gambella and ten were interviewed outside of Gambella. This was done in order to obtain accurate and reliable primary data from all respondents. The theoretical perspectives of social cubism and of human rights conceptual are applied to analyze the dynamics of child abduction. The data obtained from interviews show that socio-cultural values and perceptions, poor living conditions, ineffective government, availability of illegal small arms and light weapons, and border permeability are driving factors that have contributed to the increase in cross-border raids. The study also shows that cross-border raiding has led to revenge violence which turned into organized crime and continued frustration in border communities. The study found that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has exacerbated traditional cross-border relations, leading to interethnic conflict, cross-border organized crime, and civilian access to weapons.