Multiple tournaments and sustained defection: Why do negotiations fail to secure resource access between pastoral and agropastoral groups in Ethiopia?

► Power asymmetry contributes to failure of negotiation in arranging access. ► Land tenure policy bias create grievance and hence violent conflict. ► Resource-scarcity and population increase intensify violence than negotiation. ► Insecure property rights pushed powerful groups to defect after negotiation. ► Unstable equilibrium and failure of institutions are important outcomes.