Text source:EDIGETU.WORLDPESS.COM
Introduction / History
Before going to the detail discussion of the topic, it is very important to make some points on the confusion surrounding the names Dawro, Dauro, Dawaro and Dawuro. Except few scholars, most have written in their documents the names Dawro, Dauro and Dawaro for Dawuro. The mistake might have been made due to the scholars’ or writers’ deficiency in a certain area of language skills, lack of sufficient knowledge of Dawuro culture and history, and/or other causes. In short, of these four names, the correct one is Dawuro. The name “Dawuro” represents both the land and the people.
Dawuro Zone together with the now Konta Special Wereda was formerly called Kullo Konta Awraja of Kaffa T’ek’ilay Gizat and later on Kaffa Kifle Hager. While the Administrative Regions were reorganized toward the last few years of Derg Regime, Kullo Konta Awraja was incorporated into the newly formed “Semen Omo Administrative Region”. After the EPDRF government seized power and gave emphasis to ethnic groups, the name Kullo which was given by unknown body at unknown time was rejected and the name Dawuro which was favored by the natives became the name of the land and the people. Dawuro continued to be one of the Administrative Areas which formed the Derg’s “Semen Omo Administrative Region” and later on “Semen Omo Zone”. Following the disintegration of “Semen Omo Zone”, Dawuro officially became a Zone in November 2000. Since then, Dawuro has been one of the fourteen Zones in South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia.
The 2nd biggest hydroelectric power generation dam in Ethiopia now, Gibe III, is being built on Omo river between Dawuro and Wolayita zones. The capital town of Dawuro is Tarcha. The center of Tarcha is situated at 70 14′ north latitude and 370 5′ east longitude and 1200m to appoximately 1450m above sea level. Tarcha is 505 km from Addis Abeba through Jimma road and 282 km through Wolayita Sodo-Chida road from Hawassa, the Capital of SNNPR.
Where are they located?
Dawuro lies in between 60 36′ to 7021′ north latitudes and 36068′ to 370 52′ east longitudes. The Gojeb and Omo rivers circumscribe and demarcate Dawuro from northwest to southwest in a clockwise direction. Dawuro shares boundaries with Konta Special Wereda in west, Jimma zone (Oromiya Region) in northwest, Hadiya and Kambata-Tambaro zones in northeast, Wolayita zone in east and Gamo-Gofa zone in southeast. Dawuro has an area of 5,000 km2. It has five Weredas, namely Isara, Tocha, Marak’a, Gena Bosa, & Loma and Tarcha Town Administration.
What are their lives like?
The landscape of Dawuro is mostly mountains, plateaus, deep gorges and low land plains. Some of the mountains are Isara, Gazo, Gumati, Hayo, Atso saddle mountains, Hatsinga and Gulo. The plateau covers areas which extend from Gora upland in Loma Wereda to the border of Konta Special Wereda in east-west direction and from Waka town to the confluence of Zigna and Omo rivers in north-south direction.
The altitude of Dawuro ranges from 500 meters around the confluence of Zigna and Omo rivers to 3000 meters above sea level at Tuta in Tocha Wereda. Thus, Dawuro exhibits climatic variations from lowland to highland. This enriched Dawuro with a variety of tree species and natural vegetation/forest. For instance, Churchura- Chabara National Park, natural forests along Gojeb & Omo rivers valleys and other bigger rivers in the zone. Dawuro is also endowed with perennial rivers whose springs are the highlands aforementioned. Some of the bigger rivers include Zigna, Dalta, Buk’a, Mantsa, Shata, Wogayi, Dibirsa, Yarda, C’awa, Zo’a, Kotoro, Panta, Koma, Karetsa hatsa, Mawula, Wuni and Zayiri. All these rivers and others of Dawuro are tributaries of Gojeb and Omo rivers.
Dawuro people belong to Omotic family. The language of Dawuro people is Dawurotsuwa (in Latin orthography). Since 1994/1995, Dawurotsuwa has been serving as a medium of instruction in grades 1 through 4 and of oral communication in the Zone’s different government offices. To use Dawurotsuwa for written communication in the Zone’s government offices, preparation is being made. Apart from this, Dawurotsuwa is currently being given from grades 1 through 9 as a subject. In 2010/2011, the population of Dawuro nationality is estimated to be 608,947 (projected from 2007 Ethiopian Census result).
Although Dawuro has not been well known by most Ethiopian and western scholars until recently, thanks to EPRDF government and Gibe III project, its remarkable history and fascinating culture and their heritages have been well known. Among the heritages, two astonishing ones are the Great defensive Walls and the longest woodwind musical instrument in the world locally called “Dinka” (4 to 5 meters long, four in number) (see the picture attached). Dawuro had been a highly centralized powerful independent Kingdom until it was incorporated into Modern Ethiopia by Emperor Menelik in 1891.
What are their beliefs?
Regarding the beliefs of Dawuro people, traditional beliefs had been widely practiced until the fall of Derg Regime. Though the exact percentage is not available, the Dawuros are now mainly followers of Orthodox Tewahido, Protestant and Catholic religions. But this does not mean that all the followers of these religions have deep knowledge of the Bible and related church practices. Hence, it seems that the contents of the Bible and the related religious practices need to be taught in breadth and depth
What are their needs?
As regards the settlement of the Dawuro people, the majority of the people live in rural areas. Hence, their livelihood is based on mixed agricultural activities. Until some years of the EPDRF government passed, Dawuro had been in dark. No single all weather road, no hospital, only one high school, etc. Some of the major problems that still exist are low coverage of well networked all weather roads, low education coverage, poor health services (e.g. no one Referral level Hospital) and low coverage of potable water. So, Dawuro people are in need of any charitable organization in these areas.
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Young, passionate and dedicated to her beliefs Ms. Mideksa came to the spot light of the Ethiopian politics mostly dominated by men during the 2005 election wind. Known for her charisma, calmness and respectful behavior Ms. Mideksa was elected as the vice president of the opposition CUD. After the election violence Ms. Mideksa was arrested with fellow leaders of CUD and after her release became president of an opposition party UDJ. Then again she was arrested by the government for an “alleged” violation of her probation and spent 22 months in jail before she was released again in October 2010. Currently Ms Mideksa is continuing her graduate study in United States after being awarded the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship.
Edigetu Bezabhi 