Intermarriage between Conflicting Groups: The Case of the Arsi Oromo and the Sidama
Ethiopia 2.16 Intermarriage between Conflicting Groups: The Case of the Arsi Oromo and the Sidama (Girma Negash) The basic objectives of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. To bring to light and properly document the age-long intermarriage between the Arsi and the Sidama about whom little seem to be known thus far. 2. To investigate the puzzling paradox how two peoples who perceive one another as enemy, and often at war with each other, happen to intermarry. 3. To identify specific reasons that induced Arsi-Sidama neighbours to look for a partner from a hostile group. 4. To analyse the attitude of members of the two respective communities towards such cross-border marriages. 5. To examine the progress of the intermarriage issue in a time perspective. 6. To investigate the possible impact of this intermarriage on the conflict between the Arsi and the Sidama. In pursuance of the outlined objectives of the study, a qualitative method of