Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE GUMUZ PEOPLE SINCE 1941 [Abstract ID: 0507-09]

YAREGAL Desalegn, University of Gondar,Ethiopia

Mandura was previously called Walamba by the Gumuz People. The name Walamba, according to the Gumuz tradition is “a place of fresh air”. The Gumuz of Mandura differ in minor cultural and linguistic ways from the Gumuz who inhabit other Wärädas, such as Dibate, Bullän, Wämbära, Dangur and Guba. The research employs a qualitative method of data collection. The primary and secondary sources have been cross-checked to ensure the relevance of the data. This study shows that the Gumuz of Mandura Wärädas suffered slave raiding both from the Christian highlands of Ethiopia and by the Muslims of Sudan, over a long period of time. The people were pushed out of their original homeland and forced to live in the inhospitable lowland areas, with unfavourable climate and prevalence of malaria