Borana Oromo people

The Borana (also Borena or - in accordance with the fact that the last vowel of the word is dumb - written borane ) are a subgroup of the Oromo people. Their total number is estimated at about 4 million, most of whom live in Somalia in the south of Ethiopia, about 150000-175000 in the Eastern region of Kenya and a few in the Gedo region.

Language of the Borana is the Borana, which belongs to the southern dialects of Oromo language and is spoken by the Gabbra and Sakuye. They are traditionally cattle farmers, with some today also keep sheep, goats and even camels or grow crops. Their traditional religion is monotheistic with a God Waka; in the last 70 years, Islam has gained in influence among them, a few Borana are Christians.

The cattle farmer Guyyoo Gobbaa was 2009 King of the Borana in Ethiopia. Among the problems of the people are conflicts with neighboring ethnic groups and cattle rustling. and drought, which is expected to increase in their region due to climate change.

History

After Bahrey the Borana were the second subgroup of the Oromo in addition to the Baraytuma (also: Barentuma ) in the 16th century. From its area of ​​origin in the southern Ethiopian highlands, attracted Baraytuma from this time to the north and east in large parts of present-day Ethiopia. The Borana, however, began to penetrate vast areas of northern Kenya and into the area west of Juba ( Jubaland ) in present-day Somalia south. They displaced in front of them living there somaloide groups. An essential role is intended to the age class system gada have played: All eight years had to take off a new generation of young Borana men and bring the severed genitals of an enemy as a trophy to ascend into the class of warriors. The Gabbra and Sakuye neutralized the threat of the Borana, by becoming their allies. Other somaloide groups undertook extensive migrations to escape the Borana; the Rendille remained independent as a southern group.

The hegemony of the Borana ended in the 19th century by the advance of the Somali clan of Darod, the Borana abdrängten away from Juba and further to the west of the Tana. The British colonialists finally stopped the further advance of the Somali at the expense of Borana in Kenya. They drew a line between Borana and Somali, which largely corresponds to the present-day border between the east and the north-eastern region of Kenya.