Sidama (people)
The Sidama or Sidamo in the narrower sense are an ethnic group that lives in southwest Ethiopia in the Sidama zone of the region of the southern nations, nationalities and peoples .
Their language is also called Sidama and belongs to the Highland East Cushitic languages . According to the 2007 census, almost 3 million Sidama live in Ethiopia. They make up 4% of the total population and are the fifth largest ethnic group in the country. More than 95% of them live in rural areas.
In addition, "Sidama" was also used as a collective term for all peoples of the Kushitic language group in Ethiopia with the exception of the Oromo , Somali and Afar . The Oromo used this name for all other ethnic groups, including Somali and Amhars .
Almost 85 percent of the Sidama live from agriculture. An important staple food is the banana plant Wesse ( Ensete ), besides other foods are grown and cattle are kept. Growing coffee plays an important role as a source of income . In 2003, Sidama coffee farmers were affected by hunger as a result of the fall in world market prices for coffee (“ coffee crisis ”).
The introduction of the new administrative structure of Ethiopia with the creation of ethnically defined regions has changed the relationship between the Sidama and neighboring ethnic groups. From 1992 onwards there were conflicts with the Guji Oromo over the area of Wondo Genet ; The Guji, who had been allied with the Sidama so far, approached other Oromo groups and wanted to assign Wondo Genet to the Oromia region , while the Sidama wanted to integrate it into their zone in the region of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNPR). Most of the area was eventually added to the SNNPR. Oromo children in Wondo Genet have since been taught in the schools on Sidama, which continues to cause anger among the Oromo. In the course of these disputes, the Sidama joined forces with the Hadiyya , Kambaata and Wolaytta , against whom they fought earlier.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Central Statistical Agency : Population and Housing Census Report - 2007 , p. 73
- ^ Ulrich Braukämper: Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia. Collected Essays , 2003, ISBN 9783825856717 (p. 16)
- ^ Tadesse Berisso: Changing Alliances of Guji-Oromo and their Neigbors: State Policies and Local Factors , in: Günther Schlee, Elizabeth Watson (Ed.): Changing Identifications and Alliances in Northeast Africa: Ethiopia and Kenya , 2009, ISBN 9781845456030 (p . 191–199)