Reconstructing the identities of Afran Qalo Oromo: A case of Babile Tribe a View of Recent Raiding Conflicts in Babile, Eastern Ethiopia
Abstruct: The Hararghe oromo are descendants of the Barentu confederacy who are found in eastern part of the country. They are classified in to Afran Qalo, Itu, Humbana, Dhumuga and Karrayu. The paper is focused on the Afran Qalo those settled in the Eastern Hararghe, particularly Babile tribe who landing zone in the peripheral boarder restrict with Somali ethnic clans. As a name indicate four Qalo sons Jarso, Babile, Nole and Ala living in this area. Jarso and Babile were live mixed together with Somali. Babile is the oldest son of Qallo who settled beyond the Erer River and the peripheral corner with the Somali in the eastern part. Currently, the town entitle Babile found in the eastern part and it proclaims the center of Babile Oromo tribe in ancient time. Because of the restricted with the Somalia ethnic in the peripheral area, the some Babile Oromo tribe were lost and forget their original identity. The researcher disclose two dissimilarity opinion based on the Babile have a child or not. Some were advocate have a children's and other elaborately Babile have an ilma guddufacha. The paper seeks to investigate the historical background of Babile Oromo tribe based on the literature and Primary data collected from informants which is the most important for the objective was gathered through interview. The paper argues that for the recent conflict, the role of political elite in ethnic and the intervention of religious leader in politics were highly visible. To accomplish this idea, the researcher utilized qualitative research method. Document analysis, group discussion and observation were part of this part.