EDITOR Bichaka Fayissa, Middle Tennessee State University, USA ASSOCIATE EDITOR Demissew Ejara, University ofMassachusetts, USA CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Lemmu Baissa, SUNY Institute ofTechnology at UticaIRome, USA Asfaw Beyene, San Diego State University, USA Belletech Deressa, Global Mission, USA Mohammed Hassen, Georgia State University, USA Bonnie K. Holcomb, George Washington University, USA Asafa Jalata, The University ofTennessee, USA Addisu Tolesa, Indiana University, USA EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Mario 1. Aguilar, University ofSt. Andrews, Scotland George Banti, University ofRome, Italy Paul Baxter, University ofManchester, UK Mekuria Bulcha, University ofUppsala, Sweden Bahiru Gametchu, Medical College ofWisconsin, USA Richard Hayward, University ofLondon, UK Jan Hultin, University ofGoteborg, Sweden Said Samatar, Rutgers University, USA Sidney Waldron, SUNY Cortland, USA THE JOURNAL OF OROMO STUDIES VOLUME 9, NUMBERS 1 AND 2, JULY 2002 THE JOURIYAL OF OROMO 5TUDIES P.O Box 189 MTSU Nliddle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN 37132·0189 The Ioumal of Drama Studies (lOS) is a multi-disciplinary international journal of the Oromo Studies Association, and it publishes original research and book reviews on Oromo studies and other related issues twice a year.. JOS welcomes contributions in all areas of Oromo studies and related fields The acceptance of articles for publication is made by the editor based upon comments and recommendations of anonymous peer referees in the appropriate field. Itis our commitment to work with authors by responding to them with comments whether or not we publish the manuscript.. Articles published in this journal do not necessarily represent the views of the Oromo Studies Association or those of its officers; individual authors cany full responsibility for the accuracy of the facts and for opinions expressed in the articles © 2002 The Journal of 01Qmo 5tudies All rights reserved ISSN 1070-2202 Subscriptions: Published twice a yeal One-year individual, $2000; one-year institutional, $4000.. Single copies: $1000 for individuals; $2000 for institutions Add $500 for mailing outside of the USA Please send manusclipts and editorial correspondence to: P,of Bichaka Fayissa, Editor, Theloumal of Ommo Studies, POBox 189 MTSU, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfieesboro, TN 37132-0189 Manuscripts must be submitted in three copies (typed, double spaced) with an abstract of about 200 WOlds Figures, tables, and maps must be camera-ready. Authors must follow the latest edition of the Chitago lWanualof 5tyle Separate notes and references should be at the end of the manuscript. Accepted articles must be submitted in a hard copy and on a floppy disk using Microsoft Word THEJOURNAL OF aROMa STUDIES VOLUME 9, NUMBERS 1 AND 2, JULY 2002 Editorial Overview I-IV Human Rights Conditions Victims of the Ethiopian Government Raids on the Kenya (Moyale)/Ethiopia Border Dido G Kotile 1 Causes and Consequences of Forced Oromo Migration An Overview Mekuria Bulcha 27 Domestic and regional Implications of State-Sponsored Violence: The Case the Ethiopian State Terrorism Against the Oromo Bichaka Fayissa 55 Intrusions into Oromuma (Oromoness) and the Oromo People's Struggle for Freedom Benti Getahun 73 Environmental Issues Forest Fires in Ethiopia: Reflections on Socio-Economic and Environmental Effects of the Fires in 2000-An Assessment Study June-September 2001 Dechassa Lemessa and Matthew Perault 95 A Comparison of Methods for Calculating Rainfall Erosion hom Daily Rainfall Amounts in Hararghe Highlands Shibru Daba 131 Agricultural Issues What Should Be Done to Enhance Maize Technology Adoption in Orowa? Strategy Options Bedassa Tadesse 155 The Livestock of Orowa: An Industry in Negative Growth Assefa Regassa Geleta 175 Essays and Book Reviews On United States Altruism, Intervention, and Aggression in Somalia: A Review Essay of Blad, Hawk D01vn (Steven R Blankenship) 191 Review Essay: DemYllijjing Poltlital Thought, Power and EtOnomi, Development by Tecola Ragas Washington, DC Khepera Publishers, 1999,192 pages, $1500 (Mohammed Hassen) 213 Greg Go,,", The aroma in Exile hom the Rom of Ahica to the Suburbs of Australia, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press,1 70 pages (Mohammed Hassen) 235 Ayele Bekerie Ethiopic: An Ahican Writing System: Its History and Principles, NJ : The Red Sea Press, 1997, 176 pages, $18.00, (Mohammed Hassen) 241 Atsuko Matsuoka and John Sorenson. Ghosts and Shadows Construction of Identity and Community in Ahican Diaspom, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 261 pages, $2L95, (Mohamed Hassen) 247 EDITORIAL OVERVIEW This volume of The Journal of Gromo Stud!er comprises of eight articles broadly grouped under human rights violations in Ethiopia, environmental degradation, and the state of the agro-industry in Oromia In addition, it includes two review essays and three book reviews.. A brief synopsis the articles is given below. In his article, Dr" Dido G" Kotile assesses accounts of the Ethiopian government's aggressions and massacres in the town of Moyale along the Kenya/Ethiopia border The paper shows that the incidents of political kidnappings and assassinations were a calculated policy of the Ethiopian regime with its widespread socia-economic implications for the aromas who reside in the Kenya/Ethiopia border Based on several evidences of the Ethiopian regime-sponsored border raids and the pervasive victimization of the aroma, he draws the conclusion that the intervention of the international community is paramount in order to avert gross human rights violations of the aroma and to maintain regional peace and stability Dr" Mekuria Bulcha's article provides an overview of the causes and consequences of forced aroma migration He argues that human rights issues have played a central role in the political conflicts and wars throughout much of Ethiopia'S history The sources of these conflicts which have resulted in the waves of massive labor migration and are indicative of the country's socia-political malaise include the denial of oppressed nationalities' rights to self~determination, freedom of expression, and land reform are just a few of such issues Inspite of the Ethiopian government's effort to control the freedom of expression and free flow of information, modern technology is bringing the diaspora communities into constant contact with Oroma society, its institutions, and intellectuals at home He contends that this will playa vital role in the way politics in Ethiopia will evolve in the future In his article, Professor Bichaka Fayissa argues that the Oromo and other oppressed narions have been subjected to all forms of repression by successive regimes in Ethiopia, partly because of the colonial master-slave relationship which has been protected by the confluence of interests of the Ethiopian ruling elites and that of the NOTE ON CONTRIBUTORS Dido G, Kotile, Ph n, is an Independent Researcher, formerly with the University of Illinois, Agricultural Extension Service Mekuria BuTcha, PhD, is Associate Professor of Sociology, and Senior Researcher at Uppsala University and Malardalen University, current Vice Ptesident ofOromo Studies Association, author ofa book entitled: Flight and Integration MaS.! E xoduJ flom Ethiopia and ProblemJ of Integration in the Sudan, Scandinavian Institute of Ahican Studies, Uppsala, 1988, and the editor of Oromo Commentary Bichaka Fayissa, Ph D, Prof<:ssor of Economics, I\fiddle Tennessee State University, Murheesboro, TN USA, Current Editor of the Joumal of Or"mo Studie! and former President of the Oromo Studies Association Benti Getahun, Ph n, is current Treasurer of OSA and Assistant Professor of History at Southern Illinois, Carbondale, IL, USA, DechassaLemessa, M Sc, UN Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Matthew Perault is Graduate Student at Brown University, USA Shibru Daba, Ph D Candidate, Department of Plants, Soils, and Biometeorology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA, Bedassa Tadasse, PhD Candidate, Department of Economics, Western I\fichigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA Assef" Regassa Geleta, DVM, Independent Researcher, Brooklyn Center, MN, USA, Steven R" Balkenship, Instructor, Department of History, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA Mohammed Hassen, PhD, is an Associate Professor of History at Georgia State University, current OSA Board member, and past president of OSA western governments On the one hand, the interest of the Ethiopian ruling elites has been to maintain control of Oromo economic resources at the expense of the legitimate owners. On the other hand, the policy of the western governments for much of the past century has been to support the Ethiopian regime at any cost in order to maintain "regional stability" and to control "Islamic fundamentalism" He maintains that the international community has both the moral responsibility to avert the looming danger of the genocidal practices of the current regime in Ethiopia if it is genuinely interested in the preservation of the rule of law and true democracy which guarantee the protection of the rights of the people and bring about domestic and regional stability in the Hom of Aftica Peace and regional stability can only be achieved by addressing the demands ofthe Oromo and other oppressed nationalities in this part of the world Dr.. Benti Getahun's article deals with the issue of how the infringement upon Oromo political (gada), social, economic, and religious institutions which are anchored in Orumuma by the successive regimes in Ethiopia undermined