Gurgura Clan Structure
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College of Social Sciences Department of Social Anthropology The Gurgura Ethnic Identity Controversy in DireDawa Administrative Region EastEthiopia A Thesis Presented to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Social Anthropology By:-Wegayehu Abebe July, 2017 Addis Ababa i Acknowledgment First and foremost, my deepest gratitude goes to my advisor, Dr. Thomas Osmond for his advice and constructive comments from the very beginning of the study up to the end of this thesis work. I would also like to thank my mother w/roAsegedechAbebe for her financial support and encouragement to finalize this thesis work. I am very much grateful to my friends for their unreserved moral supports during my fieldwork stay in the research sites. Furthermore, I would like to thank some of Gurgura people who helped me to meet notable Gurgura elders.Last but not least, I am very grateful to my key informants who provided me with rich information. i Table of Contents Acknowledgment i Table of Contents ii Abbreviation v Acronyms and Abbreviations vi CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................. 1 1. Background .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 . Description of the Study Area ........................................................................................ 3 1.1.1. Historical Background of DireDawa ............................................................................. 3 1.1.2. The Current Dire Dawa ................................................................................................. 4 1.2 .Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 6 1.3 .General and Specific Objectives of the Study ................................................................. 8 1.3.1 General Objective ..................................................................................................... 8 1.4 .Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 8 1.5 . Methods of Data Collection ........................................................................................... 9 1.5.1 Unstructured Interviews ............................................................................................ 9 1.5.2 Observation ............................................................................................................. 10 1.5.3 Focus Group Discussion ......................................................................................... 10 1.6 .Selection of the Research Sites ..................................................................................... 10 1.7 .Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 10 1.8 .The Scope and Limitation of the Study ......................................................................... 11 1.9. Research Experience ...................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.Theoretical/ conceptualLiterature ....................................................................................... 13 2.1.1 Concepts and Definitions on Ethnicity and Identity ..................................................... 13 2.1.2Relationship between Identity and Ethnicity ................................................................. 15 2.1.3. Ethnicity as Dynamic Phenomena ............................................................................... 17 2.1.4 Ethnic groups boundaries and their interdependence ................................................... 18 2.1.5 Identity and Myths of descent ...................................................................................... 19 2.1.6. Interaction of Language and Ethnicity ........................................................................ 19 ii 2.2. Theoretical Frameworks on the Study ofIdentity and Ethnicity ........................................ 20 2.2.1 The Primordialist Model ............................................................................................... 20 2.2.3. Circumstantialist/ Instrumentalist / Model .................................................................. 21 2.2.4.Constructivist Model .................................................................................................... 22 2.3. Empirical Literature ........................................................................................................... 24 2.3.1. Oromo and Somali Relationship in Eastern Ethiopia .................................................. 24 2.3.2. Ethnicity and Identity formation among the Siltie ...................................................... 25 2.3.3.Inter-Ethnic Relations in Diredawa Administration Region ........................................ 26 CHAPTER THREE ...................................................................................................................... 27 3. Population, Geographic area, Livelihood andGenealogical Narratives ................................ 27 3.1. Population....................................................................................................................... 27 3.2 Geographic Area ................................................................................................................. 28 3.3. Livelihood .......................................................................................................................... 31 3.4. Genealogical Narratives ..................................................................................................... 35 3.4.1. Genealogical Roots of the Somali Ethnic Group......................................................... 35 3.4.2. Myths and Historical Narratives of the Gurgura ......................................................... 35 3.4.3. Genealogical Roots of the Gurgura clan ...................................................................... 37 3.5.Socio-political Structure of Gurgura ................................................................................... 39 3.5.1.Geraada: Ascribed Social Status among Gurgura ........................................................ 41 3.6.Religion among Gurgura ..................................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................... 44 Gurgura Inter and Intra-Ethnic Relationships ............................................................................... 44 4.1. Historical Background on Gurgura and Oromo Inter-Ethnic Groups Relation ................. 44 4.2. Matrimonial Alliances ........................................................................................................ 46 4.2.1. Marriage Practices between Oromo and Gurgura ....................................................... 46 4.3. Intra-Ethnic -Relationship between Gurgura and Issa ....................................................... 48 4. 4. I GLF and GLF .............................................................................................................. 50 4.5. Conflict Resolution Mechanisms ....................................................................................... 51 4.5.1. Hera: Gurgura Conflict Resolution Mechanisms vis a vis its Neighbors .................... 51 iii 4.5.2. Present Practice of Conflict Resolution among Gurgura and its Immediate Neighbors’ ............................................................................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER FIVE .......................................................................................................................... 56 5. Controversial Discourses and Practices of the Gurgura Identity .............................................. 57 5.1. Oromo Narratives towards Gurgura Identity ..................................................................... 57 5.2. Somali Narratives towards Gurgura Identity ..................................................................... 58 5.3. Pro-Somali Perspectives of Gurgura .................................................................................. 59 5.4. Pro-Oromo Perspectives of Gurgura .................................................................................. 62 5.5. Adoption practice among Gurgura ..................................................................................... 69 CHAPTER SIX ............................................................................................................................. 73 6. Post-1991Political Developments and Gurgura Identity .......................................................... 73 6.1. Political Power Contest in DireDawa Administration ....................................................... 73 6. 2. Current Linguistic Status of Gurgura ................................................................................ 77 6. 3. Disagreement over the Designation of Ugaz among Gurgura .......................................... 80 6.3.1. Gurgura Clan Structure ...............................................................................................