Oxfam America,
All Oxfam Offices World Wide
October 16, 2007
RE: The Use of the Misnomer “Sidamo”
This is to bring to your attention that the use of the derogatory term “Sidamo” continues both in Ethiopia and abroad after 15 years of the dissolution of the former “Sidamo” administrative region of the socialist government. Up to now the Sidama people have been opposing the use of this degrading and insulting term “Sidamo” on individual basis. However, the time has now come to take a collective action as a nation and inform the international community that there are no people called “Sidamo” at present.
A campaign has started by voluntary and free Sidama intellectuals and Sidama community members to inform the international community that THERE ARE NO PEOPLE CALLED “SIDAMO” AND THE USE OF “SIDAMO” MISNOMER MUST BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. We have prepared a brief document pertaining to the history of the Sidama people and the origin of the misnomer “Sidamo” to enable you to make informed decisions about the continued use of this derogatory term. These are presented below:
1. An overview of the history of Sidama people
The Sidama people live in the southern part of the present day Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa. They belong to the people of Kushitic origin that occupy the vast area of north eastern and eastern Africa extending from the Sudan throughout the Horn of Africa to Tanzania. The most notable peoples of the Kushitic origin to which the Sidama people belong include, the Saho in Eritrea, Oromo, Hadiya, Afar and Somalis in Ethiopia; the Somalis especially the Degodai tribe both in Somalia and Kenya; the Randle and Sakuye in Kenya and many others in Eastern and central Africa. The Sidama along with Agew and Beja were the first settlers in the northern highlands of the present day Ethiopia before the arrival of Abyssineans. That was why the present day Ethiopia was called the land of Kush. The Ethiopian historians such as Taddese Tamirat themselves accept this fact.
At present the majority of the Sidama people live in the Southern part of Ethiopia with notable geographical features like lake Awassa in the North and lake Abaya in the South. The population of the Sidama land is about 5 million at present. However, during the course of great popular migration from North and East to the South of Africa, some Sidamas were left behind and were later scattered into different parts of the country and even beyond. One example of such groups of people related to Sidama includes those who live around river Dawa in South Eastern Ethiopia and North Eastern Kenya. The Dawa river was the turning point in the history of the migration of the Sidama people from North to the South. These people now speak Somali language and identify themselves as Digodai, the clans of which include several clans in Sidama. The most notable of these clans is Fardano whose name is maintained both in Sidama and Somali Digodai tribe with out slightest modification. Other people that have even greater affiliation to the Sidama people and its culture and language and that were only separated from the present day Sidama land most recently include Alaba, Tambaro, Qewena and Marako. These groups of the Sidama people live in the western vicinity of the present day Sidama land. This latter group of Sidama people are called western Sidamas. Some writers of the feudal era were misled by some non-Sidama writers into believing that there were two different groups of peoples called “Sidamo” and Sidama. That is absolutely incorrect. There are no two peoples called Sidama and “Sidamo”. There are only one people called Sidama.
2. The Origin of the Misnomer “Sidamo”
When Baalichcha Worawo, the last king of Sidama, made the Wuchale type treaty with Bashah Aboye, the general of Minelik and the leader of the invading Abyssinian army that first set its foot on the Sidama land in 1891, the latter asked the King of Sidama what the name of this people was called. King Baalichcha Worawo told him that his people were called the Sidama people. However, Beshah never used the name Sidama to refer to this people. This was because it was part of the policy of occupation and subjugation to humiliate the occupied territories by degrading their identity either by selling the peoples as slaves or using other humiliating mechanisms such as calling them with inferior names. Accordingly, Beshah and his soldiers refused to call the people in their real name and started to call them “Sidamo” which implied their inferior status now under occupation. However, because the treaty between Beshah and King Baalichcha failed to work, Beshah’s army was defeated and Beshah retreated back to Shewa. The Sidama land was free once again although it was for a brief period.
When Beshah arrived back in Addis Ababa, he reported to emperor Minelik that he encountered some people called “Sidamo” who repulsed his army. Thus, the term “Sidamo’ was first coined by Beshah Aboye and his soldiers in 1891. That was how the term emerged. There have never been any people called “Sidamo” and there never are at present!! Therefore, the term was a deliberate fabrication by the invading soldiers of King Minelik as part of the campaign to humiliate, undermine and subjugate the newly conquered territories in the South of the country.
Minelik’s army had to change the direction of their attack on Sidama from the north western tip of Sidama near lake Awassa where Beshah was defeated by Baalichcha Worawo to the more remote eastern highland of Hula adjacent to Bale in the present day Oromia region. This time another general of Minelik called Leulseged launched a massive military attack which was superior in armament and ammunition compared to the ordinary armaments the Sidama people then had to reoccupy the Sidama land. He successfully reoccupied the Sidama land and established his first administrative post in Hula which was later called Hagereselam town in the mid 1890s.
Later in 1890s Leulseged forced Baalichcha Warawo to join him in his campaign to conquer the Konso land, south of Sidama. King Baalichcha had no power to refuse to accompany Leulseged because he was now under occupation. King Baalichcha Worawo was taken to the Konso land with the pretext of assisting the conquest and was assassinated there by Leulseged. His mule called Laango on which Baalichcha travelled to Konso came back home travelling an amazing distance of over 200 kms by its own. To date the Sidama people lament about Baalichcha’s assassination by saying that: “Warawo Baalichcha, diinu galafati ma manchi shaalicha. Gaangichosi Laango, Baalichchi gorena bae dagu gaango”, roughly translated as “the enemy brutally murdered the beloved King of Sidama. But his mule escaped and came home alone!!”.
After the Conquest of Sidama, Gedeo, the Guji and Borana Oromos and other smaller Kushitic nations south of Sidama, the entire area of Sidama and south of Sidama including Wolayita and starting from Tikur wuha in Awassa town up to Moyale on the Ethiopian-Kenyan border was named the “Sidamo” province by the successive Amhara rulers until the early 1980s when the military Junta reduced the size of the “Sidamo” province by separating Wolayita and Borana from it. This province was dissolved when the new government formed SNNPR in 1993.
Therefore, the use of the term “Sidamo” ended in 1993 with the dissolution of the “Sidamo” administrative region the same year. At present there are neither regions nor peoples who are called “Sidamo”. But the use of this term has continued in Ethiopia as well as internationally. It is not possible to correct this misnomer on an individual basis by addressing individuals or organizations who use the term globally.
The Wolayita people were able to change the derogatory term “Wolamo” used against them long time ago. The Oromos also managed to ban the use of another derogatory term “Galla” long time ago.
The former “Sidama” province which referred to a collection of Sidama, Wolayita, Gedeo, Burji, Guji and Borena Oromos was dissolved by the derg in early 1980s. None of these people referred to themselves as “Sidamo” any way. “Sidamo” was simply an administrative name used by the rulers and did not actually reflect the true name of any of the peoples in the province. The Sidama people never called themselves “Sidamo”, the Wolatyita people never called themselves “Sidamo”. neither did Gedeo, Burji, Guji or Borena Oromos.
3. The Sidama Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union trades “Sidamo” Coffee?
At present this derogatory term “Sidamo” is being used to represent the Sidama people. The evidence for this is the use of Ethiopian “Sidamo” coffee to refer to the Ethiopian Sidama coffee. This is not acceptable. The coffee farmers are Sidama and the coffee is Sidama coffee. The Gedeo coffee is trade marked as Yirgacheffe separately. It is time that the “Sidamo” coffee trade mark be changed to the Ethiopian Sidama coffee. The continued use of “Sidamo” to refer to the Sidama coffee is against the rule of the fair international trade in commodities and clear violation of the right of the Sidama farmers to sell their products in the name they assign to the product. One can not trade the Russian Gold as the USSR Gold today because there is no more USSR today.
How and why does the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union trade in “Sidamo” coffee? This is completely against the principle of fair trade.
4. Conclusion and call for immediate halt in the use of “Sidamo” misnomer
There are no people in Ethiopia called “Sidamo”. The misnomer was invented in 1891 by the invading Minelik’s generals and soldiers as part of a psychological war to degrade and dehumanise the newly occupied land of Sidama and other peoples living around the Sidama land. The same dehumanising misnomer was used against the Wolayita people who were called “Wolamo”. Oromos were called with another derogatory name called “Galla” which in fact preceded “Sidamo” and “Wolamo” misnomers.
5. Request to Oxfam America and all Oxfam Offices worldwide
Oxfam is a voice of voiceless. Its worldwide campaign to make trade fair was a great achievement to the Sidama poor.
We, the Sidama people, therefore request Oxfam’s good offices worldwide to assist the Sidama people once again to be able to trade their high quality coffee in the name of Ethiopian Sidama coffee instead of a misnomer Ethiopian “Sidamo” coffee.
RE: The Use of the Misnomer “Sidamo”
This is to bring to your attention that the use of the derogatory term “Sidamo” continues both in Ethiopia and abroad after 15 years of the dissolution of the former “Sidamo” administrative region of the socialist government. Up to now the Sidama people have been opposing the use of this degrading and insulting term “Sidamo” on individual basis. However, the time has now come to take a collective action as a nation and inform the international community that there are no people called “Sidamo” at present.
A campaign has started by voluntary and free Sidama intellectuals and Sidama community members to inform the international community that THERE ARE NO PEOPLE CALLED “SIDAMO” AND THE USE OF “SIDAMO” MISNOMER MUST BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. We have prepared a brief document pertaining to the history of the Sidama people and the origin of the misnomer “Sidamo” to enable you to make informed decisions about the continued use of this derogatory term. These are presented below:
1. An overview of the history of Sidama people
The Sidama people live in the southern part of the present day Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa. They belong to the people of Kushitic origin that occupy the vast area of north eastern and eastern Africa extending from the Sudan throughout the Horn of Africa to Tanzania. The most notable peoples of the Kushitic origin to which the Sidama people belong include, the Saho in Eritrea, Oromo, Hadiya, Afar and Somalis in Ethiopia; the Somalis especially the Degodai tribe both in Somalia and Kenya; the Randle and Sakuye in Kenya and many others in Eastern and central Africa. The Sidama along with Agew and Beja were the first settlers in the northern highlands of the present day Ethiopia before the arrival of Abyssineans. That was why the present day Ethiopia was called the land of Kush. The Ethiopian historians such as Taddese Tamirat themselves accept this fact.
At present the majority of the Sidama people live in the Southern part of Ethiopia with notable geographical features like lake Awassa in the North and lake Abaya in the South. The population of the Sidama land is about 5 million at present. However, during the course of great popular migration from North and East to the South of Africa, some Sidamas were left behind and were later scattered into different parts of the country and even beyond. One example of such groups of people related to Sidama includes those who live around river Dawa in South Eastern Ethiopia and North Eastern Kenya. The Dawa river was the turning point in the history of the migration of the Sidama people from North to the South. These people now speak Somali language and identify themselves as Digodai, the clans of which include several clans in Sidama. The most notable of these clans is Fardano whose name is maintained both in Sidama and Somali Digodai tribe with out slightest modification. Other people that have even greater affiliation to the Sidama people and its culture and language and that were only separated from the present day Sidama land most recently include Alaba, Tambaro, Qewena and Marako. These groups of the Sidama people live in the western vicinity of the present day Sidama land. This latter group of Sidama people are called western Sidamas. Some writers of the feudal era were misled by some non-Sidama writers into believing that there were two different groups of peoples called “Sidamo” and Sidama. That is absolutely incorrect. There are no two peoples called Sidama and “Sidamo”. There are only one people called Sidama.
2. The Origin of the Misnomer “Sidamo”
When Baalichcha Worawo, the last king of Sidama, made the Wuchale type treaty with Bashah Aboye, the general of Minelik and the leader of the invading Abyssinian army that first set its foot on the Sidama land in 1891, the latter asked the King of Sidama what the name of this people was called. King Baalichcha Worawo told him that his people were called the Sidama people. However, Beshah never used the name Sidama to refer to this people. This was because it was part of the policy of occupation and subjugation to humiliate the occupied territories by degrading their identity either by selling the peoples as slaves or using other humiliating mechanisms such as calling them with inferior names. Accordingly, Beshah and his soldiers refused to call the people in their real name and started to call them “Sidamo” which implied their inferior status now under occupation. However, because the treaty between Beshah and King Baalichcha failed to work, Beshah’s army was defeated and Beshah retreated back to Shewa. The Sidama land was free once again although it was for a brief period.
When Beshah arrived back in Addis Ababa, he reported to emperor Minelik that he encountered some people called “Sidamo” who repulsed his army. Thus, the term “Sidamo’ was first coined by Beshah Aboye and his soldiers in 1891. That was how the term emerged. There have never been any people called “Sidamo” and there never are at present!! Therefore, the term was a deliberate fabrication by the invading soldiers of King Minelik as part of the campaign to humiliate, undermine and subjugate the newly conquered territories in the South of the country.
Minelik’s army had to change the direction of their attack on Sidama from the north western tip of Sidama near lake Awassa where Beshah was defeated by Baalichcha Worawo to the more remote eastern highland of Hula adjacent to Bale in the present day Oromia region. This time another general of Minelik called Leulseged launched a massive military attack which was superior in armament and ammunition compared to the ordinary armaments the Sidama people then had to reoccupy the Sidama land. He successfully reoccupied the Sidama land and established his first administrative post in Hula which was later called Hagereselam town in the mid 1890s.
Later in 1890s Leulseged forced Baalichcha Warawo to join him in his campaign to conquer the Konso land, south of Sidama. King Baalichcha had no power to refuse to accompany Leulseged because he was now under occupation. King Baalichcha Worawo was taken to the Konso land with the pretext of assisting the conquest and was assassinated there by Leulseged. His mule called Laango on which Baalichcha travelled to Konso came back home travelling an amazing distance of over 200 kms by its own. To date the Sidama people lament about Baalichcha’s assassination by saying that: “Warawo Baalichcha, diinu galafati ma manchi shaalicha. Gaangichosi Laango, Baalichchi gorena bae dagu gaango”, roughly translated as “the enemy brutally murdered the beloved King of Sidama. But his mule escaped and came home alone!!”.
After the Conquest of Sidama, Gedeo, the Guji and Borana Oromos and other smaller Kushitic nations south of Sidama, the entire area of Sidama and south of Sidama including Wolayita and starting from Tikur wuha in Awassa town up to Moyale on the Ethiopian-Kenyan border was named the “Sidamo” province by the successive Amhara rulers until the early 1980s when the military Junta reduced the size of the “Sidamo” province by separating Wolayita and Borana from it. This province was dissolved when the new government formed SNNPR in 1993.
Therefore, the use of the term “Sidamo” ended in 1993 with the dissolution of the “Sidamo” administrative region the same year. At present there are neither regions nor peoples who are called “Sidamo”. But the use of this term has continued in Ethiopia as well as internationally. It is not possible to correct this misnomer on an individual basis by addressing individuals or organizations who use the term globally.
The Wolayita people were able to change the derogatory term “Wolamo” used against them long time ago. The Oromos also managed to ban the use of another derogatory term “Galla” long time ago.
The former “Sidama” province which referred to a collection of Sidama, Wolayita, Gedeo, Burji, Guji and Borena Oromos was dissolved by the derg in early 1980s. None of these people referred to themselves as “Sidamo” any way. “Sidamo” was simply an administrative name used by the rulers and did not actually reflect the true name of any of the peoples in the province. The Sidama people never called themselves “Sidamo”, the Wolatyita people never called themselves “Sidamo”. neither did Gedeo, Burji, Guji or Borena Oromos.
3. The Sidama Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union trades “Sidamo” Coffee?
At present this derogatory term “Sidamo” is being used to represent the Sidama people. The evidence for this is the use of Ethiopian “Sidamo” coffee to refer to the Ethiopian Sidama coffee. This is not acceptable. The coffee farmers are Sidama and the coffee is Sidama coffee. The Gedeo coffee is trade marked as Yirgacheffe separately. It is time that the “Sidamo” coffee trade mark be changed to the Ethiopian Sidama coffee. The continued use of “Sidamo” to refer to the Sidama coffee is against the rule of the fair international trade in commodities and clear violation of the right of the Sidama farmers to sell their products in the name they assign to the product. One can not trade the Russian Gold as the USSR Gold today because there is no more USSR today.
How and why does the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union trade in “Sidamo” coffee? This is completely against the principle of fair trade.
4. Conclusion and call for immediate halt in the use of “Sidamo” misnomer
There are no people in Ethiopia called “Sidamo”. The misnomer was invented in 1891 by the invading Minelik’s generals and soldiers as part of a psychological war to degrade and dehumanise the newly occupied land of Sidama and other peoples living around the Sidama land. The same dehumanising misnomer was used against the Wolayita people who were called “Wolamo”. Oromos were called with another derogatory name called “Galla” which in fact preceded “Sidamo” and “Wolamo” misnomers.
5. Request to Oxfam America and all Oxfam Offices worldwide
Oxfam is a voice of voiceless. Its worldwide campaign to make trade fair was a great achievement to the Sidama poor.
We, the Sidama people, therefore request Oxfam’s good offices worldwide to assist the Sidama people once again to be able to trade their high quality coffee in the name of Ethiopian Sidama coffee instead of a misnomer Ethiopian “Sidamo” coffee.
No comments:
Post a Comment