Sidama people

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The 'Sidama'people of today's southern Ethiopia are an ethnic group whose homeland is in the Sidama region of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. They number above 4.7 million, the third populous nation in Ethiopia ^[1]

Their language is called Sidaamu-afoo. Majority of the Sidama people have their own traditional religion; less than half of them are born-again Christians since 1960s, no an Orthodox religion; very few Islamic followers.

Historically, the Sidamas' with other Kush Kingdoms believed to have inhabited today's northern Ethiopia and beyond; before the emergence of Axumite Kingdoms that is later being replaced by an Abyssian rule, since 4th BC.

Historically, there were Sidama kingdoms in the Gibe region for which the native Sidama people don't give any evidence.

Nearly 85% of the Sidama live a life centered around agriculture^[2]. An important staple food is the wesse plant, or Ensete. Other crops are also grown and they breed cattle. An important source of income is coffee. An economic importance of the Sidama, coffee is immense and it contributes about 50-60% of export coffee for the central government from which the Sidama people get nothing. The Sidama farmers were affected by hunger caused by sinking world market prices for coffee (coffee crisis according to the pretext of Central the government)^[3].