Customary Law and Murder Resolution: The Case of Raya People, Tigrai, Ethiopia

Raya is endowed with different folkloric values. The society is well known for its multi-functional customary dispute resolution mechanisms. This article, therefore, focused on the murder conflict resolution method in the hope of encouraging its contextualization with modern law as an exemplary of its kind. Data was collected from people in the zone through interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussion; it was then analyzed through qualitative methods. Based on the analysis, an institution named gäräb was found to play an important role in murder conflict resolution. The conflict resolution institution depends on the degree of the guilt, namely, Qáyiħ Däm (lit. red blood), Şälim Däm (lit. black blood), and Na Şälim Şälim Däm (lit. black of black blood). The first one occurs unconsciously (an accident); the second is deliberate, and the third is an intentional, extremely inhuman, and torturous crime. The wise elders (in the institution) consider all these mental states to resolve a conflict. The system mostly creates sustainable harmonization among the people. The cause of exile punishment is for the wellbeing of the perpetrator’s family and boot out from the victim’s family. Mainly, the goal is to restore peace and prevent further violence, rather than solely punishing the offender. Through such systems, justice is achieved within the context of the community’s values and social structures, thereby fostering long-term peace and coexistence.