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The Gedeo people
The Gedeo people are an ethnic group indigenous to southern Ethiopia, primarily residing in the Gedeo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR). According to the 2007 Ethiopian national census, their population stands at 986,977. While 75.05% of them live within the SNNPR, 24.84% inhabit the neighboring Oromia Region, with a small percentage (6.24%) residing in urban areas. They primarily speak the Gedeo language, part of the Cushitic language family, alongside Amharic. Cultural HeritageThe Gedeo culture is notably distinguished by the baalle tradition, a system of ranks and age classes that mirrors the Gadaa system of the Oromo people. This system encompasses seven grades that span ten…
