[5] Slavery in predominantly Anuak regions was abolished in the early 20th century, but was briefly restored following World War II.

[5] According to Human Rights Watch, a prominent non-governmental organization, the Anuak people were the predominant ethnic group in Ethiopia's western Gambela Region, until the 1980s.

[6] However, beginning in 1984, the Derg regime embarked on a resettlement program, whereby 60,000 people from the central Ethiopian Highlands were relocated to Anuak lands in the Gambela Region.

[6] Simultaneously, the Second Sudanese Civil War broke out to the west of the Gambela Region, resulting in a large amount of refugees fleeing into the same area.

[6] The Ethiopian government has taken an increased interest in providing stability in the Gambela Region due to the recent discovery of petroleum and gold in the area.

[6] As a result of inter-ethnic violence, and alleged discrimination from the Ethiopian government, a sizeable Anuak diaspora began to form during the 1990s and 2000s.

[7] The Anuak people of Ethiopia and Sudan largely reside in a subsistence economy,[citation needed] with rivers serving an important role.

[citation needed] The migration of domesticated animals is not as important to them as it is to other cultures because the Anuak people do not have as much livestock as most as they focus more on agriculture.

[11][failed verification] The Anuak predominantly live in tight-knit communities which are largely self-contained, and often have little communication with the outside world.

[5] The Gambela Region, where many Anuak people within Ethiopia live is low-lying,[5] and is hot and tropical with rich, fertile, well-watered soil coming from the rivers.

[15] A 2007 report by The International Human Rights Law Clinic at the Washington College of Law submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination concluded that the Ethiopian government's response to violent massacres in 2003 was in violation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

[16] A 2005 report by Human Rights Watch also found that the Ethiopian militia "has committed widespread murder, rape and torture" against Anuak cilivians.

[17] The former governor of the Gambela Region, Okello Akuaye, has also accused the government of aiding local militias in attacking Anuak civilians.

[citation needed] The Ethiopian government has denied that its military was involved in attacks on Anuaks, and instead attributed violence in the region to local ethnic militias.

[19][20] A 2006 article by BBC News characterized local violence as a dispute between the Anuak and the Nuer "over access to pasture, water and fertile land in the Gambella region".

[12] The group has collaborated with other non-governmental organizations to document instances of violence, and to lobby various countries to condemn the practices of the Ethiopian government.