Ethiopia: Ethnicity among the Oromo, and whether it is determined through the father or the mother
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ETH31976.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ethiopia: Ethnicity among the Oromo, and whether it is determined through the father or the mother, 1 June 1999, ETH31976.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab6c28.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Susan Pollock, treasurer for the Oromo Relief Association in the United Kingdom, and author of the report Ethiopia: Human Rights in the Making: Democracy or Dictatorship, the Oromo are a patrilineal society (4 June 1994). Ethnicity is handed down from the father to the children, and Oromo children are expected to know the names of their paternal ancestors over a period of 32 generations. She added that among the Oromo, a child not only belongs to the father but also to his clan and community (ibid.).
An official at the Embassy of Ethiopia in Ottawa agreed that culturally, a child's ethnicity is determined by the ethnicity of the father (4 June 1994). He added that in cases where one of the parents does not belong to the same ethnic group, at 18 years of age, a child is at liberty to choose to take on the ethnicity of the mother (ibid.).
However, the representative of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in Washington, DC, explained that a person can take on the ethnicity of an Oromo father or an Oromo mother depending on whether that person accepts Oromo identity and practises Oromo culture (4 June 1999). He defined Oromo culture as way of life which includes language, dress, manner of interaction, and respect for elders. He further stated that for a person to be recognized as Oromo, that person would have to observe precepts of the gadda system. The gadda system, he explained, is the institution that guides the social, political and economic life of the Oromos (ibid.). The representative also explained that the Oromos have a system of guddiffacha, the equivalent of the western system of adoption. He explained that through the system of guddiffacha, a person can become Oromo regardless of whether he or she is Ethiopian or not, provided the person accepts Oromo culture and identity (ibid.). This information could not be corroborated by sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Susan Pollock, treasurer, Oromo Relief Association (U.K), author, Ethiopia - Human Tragedy in the Making: Democracy or Dictatorship, Glasgow. 4 June 1999. Telephone interview.
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Ottawa. 4 June 1999. Telephone interview.
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Washington. DC. 4 June 1999. Telephone interview with representative.
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]. January 1997 - December 1998. Vols. 37-38. Nos. 1-25.
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. 1997-1998. Vols. 34-35. Nos. 1-12.
Horn of Africa Bulletin [Uppsala]. January 1998-February 1999. Bi-monthly. Nos. 1-6.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. Weekly. January 1998-April 1999. Nos. 793-854.
Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. January 1998-January 1999. Monthly. Vols. 44-45.
Electronic sources: IRB databases, Internet, LEXIS/NEXIS, World Network Connection (WNC)
