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The Making of Oromo Diaspora: A Historical Sociology of Forced Migration Mekuria Bulcha Minneapolis: Kirk House Publishers, 2002. Pp. 272; illustrations and maps. Paper $25.00
The Making of Oromo Diaspora is an account of forced migration from Oromoland. The book originates in the author's research on forced migration and explores some of the social and political factors that led to the uprooting and scattering of thousands of Oromos in different directions and at different times (13). As someone who has personally experienced the history he describes in his book, Professor Mekuria Bulcha demonstrates both the passion of an interested insider and the objective reflection of an unbiased scholar.
The book starts with the sociology of forced migration, followed by an illustration of the Red Sea slave trade. In chapter 2, the author notes that "slavery and slave trade were practices with ancient roots in northeast Africa. Slavery has been an important feature of Abyssinia's social and economic life" (33). Moreover, the slave trade and the import of firearms have played an important role in the "establishment and maintenance of Abyssinian domination at the end of the nineteenth century" (51).
In subsequent chapters the author describes in detail the fate of slaves in the host societies (chapter 4). Here the personal stories of men and women who were captured and sold into slavery, yet who eventually made significant contributions to Oromo studies, are brought into light (chapter 5). Amongst them, the author discusses the lives of four personalities: Malik Ambar, Bilile (Mehbuba), Onesimos Nasib, and Aster Ganno. The brief story of Nasib and Ganno is most...