Ethnicity and Tribalism in Addis Ababa
Ethnic Groups of Ethiopia
Like most African nations, Ethiopia is a land of many tribes, ethnic groups,
cultures and religions, that exist together under a common flag. Over seventy
languages are spoken as the mother tongue in this diverse nation.
The largest ethnic group, comprising 40% of the total population is
the Galla (who speak Oromo) (Ethiopia: A Country Study xvi). The Amhara
are the second largest ethnic group at 30% and an additional 20% of the
population speaks their native tongue, Amharic (Ethiopia: A Country Study
xvi). Smaller ethnic and linguistic groups include the Tigray at 15% of
the total and the Somali, Gurage, Borana, Awi, Afar, Wolayta, Sadama and
Beja (Ethiopia: A Country Study xvi). A universal trend towards urbanization
has presented these different groups with common interests and problems,
as they now live side by side.
Ethnic Groups of Addis Ababa
As the capital and largest employment center of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa has
drawn its population from every corner of the nation. Since its founding,
the city has been an indigenous melting pot and the birthplace of modern
Ethiopian culture. Amharas are the dominant ethnic group in Addis Ababa
at 50% (Horvath 323). By 1900, thousands of Menelik's
Amhara flocked to Addis Ababa from the north to take advantage of the economic
opportunities in the construction of a new capital. The Gurage (20% of
Addis Ababa population), an agricultural people from the south, came to
the city as slaves, clients, migrant laborers and visitors and added to
the great diversity of Addis Ababa (O'Conner 108). The other minority group,
the Galla also comprise 20% of the population of the capital (O'Conner
108). Only 1% of Addis Ababans are foreign born and other ethnic groups,
most from Tigray and the former Ethiopian province of Eritrea, make up
the remaining 9% of the population (O'Conner 108).
Ethnic Safars and Intensified Tribalism
The Urbanization of Ethiopia has led to generally intensified tribalism
and stronger bonds between members of the same ethnic group (O'Conner 109).
Often, when farmers and villagers came to the city, they were very concerned
about preserving their identity and helping their own kind.
Bonded most importantly by language, the people of each ethnic group
originally settled together in Addis Ababa in a pattern similar to the
development of ethnic neighborhoods in New York and Chicago in North America.
Some safars are fully populated by migrants from the same distant
village (McClellan 32).
Ethnic Development Associations
Safars
in Addis Ababa also have a long tradition of providing an independent welfare
system for their kinsmen, pooling economic resources to help newcomers
establish themselves (McClellan 32). In his book, The African City,
Anthony O'Conner summarizes this phenomenon and suggests that Addis Ababa
is truly unique in its segregation of ethnic groups: "Possibly to a greater
degree than anywhere else, the layout of Addis Ababa is based upon quarters
originally allocated to specific ethnic groups or sub-groups (221)."
Politics of Ethnicity
Also unique are the politics and interactions between minorities and the
Amhara majority. Amharic, the most commonly spoken language of Addis Ababa,
is used by 66% of the population including most of the Galla people, who
have to a great extent assimilated themselves into Amharic society (O'Conner
125). The Gurage on the other hand, have consistently resisted Amharization
of their culture and preserved their native tongue.
The occupations and lifestyles favored by each ethnic group also differ.
The Amhara, who consider themselves the "hosts" of the city and have long
been the ruling class, typically occupy the "nobler" professions including
government, law, medicine, and trade (O'Conner 109). The Galla likewise
have an image of themselves as an 'elite' class and avoid unskilled labor.
The Gurage on the other hand, do not believe they are predisposed against
labor and are capitalist opportunists who occupy positions the Amhara and
Galla feel they are too good for. Most of those who gather and bundle Eucalyptus
wood in the greenbelt and transport it to markets for sale in Addis
Ababa are Gurage, while the agriculturally inclined Amhara and Galla typically
work at large mixed farm operations on the urban fringe (Horvath 323).
Status of Women
An exceptional element of Addis Ababa's social system is the high proportion
of women in the urban population. Many of the women are single and divorced,
having fled to the city to find jobs after being exiled from their villages
(O'Conner 55). For every 100 females in the city, there are only 95 males
(O'Conner 55). These women hold one-third of all paid jobs in Addis Ababa(O'Conner
153).
The opinions expressed in this document are those
of theauthor, not that of Fortune Citys.