Barentu Oromo people

Barentuu/Barentoo or (older) Baraytuma is one of the two moieties of the Oromo people. The other moiety is Borana. The Barentu Oromo inhabit the eastern parts of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. The Barentuu Oromos are inhabiting the zones of Mirab (West) Hararghe Zone and Misraq (East) Hararghe Zone, Arsi Zone, and Bale Zone.

Profile

The Barentu are Oromo people, and represent one of the two halves of the original Oromos (the other half being the Borana). They are mostly urbanized and rural people but some hold traditional nomad life styles and agriculture.

Religion

Far westwards into the Mirab (West) Welega Zone and Misraq (East) Welega, you would find the majority of its inhabitants are Protestant while people in the Semien (North) Shewa, Mirab (West) Shewa Zone, and Misraq (East) Shewa are a mixture of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Protestant, and Islam. In eastern zones like Mirab (West) Hararghe Zone and Misraq (East) Hararghe Zone for example, about 98.5% of the Oromo people living in this part of the country, are followers of Islam. Since Hararghe is the furthest east in the Oromia Region it is closest to the ethnic Somalis living in Ogadenia (West Somalia) or the Somali region in Ethiopia and south of the Afar people from the Afar Region, who were the two first Ethnic groups to accept in the religion of Islam in Africa. The religion has come to the oromos of Hararghe first out of all Oromoos then on wards. Some people in the Arsi Zone and the Bale Zone still follow the traditional Oromoo religion which is called Waaqa. It's mostly common the find people following Waaqa from the Borana tribes.

Sub groups

The Barento/Barentuma consist of the following sections or subgroups, which in turn include many subdivisions:

• The Wallo Oromo, who are the northernmost group, and live predominantly in the Oromia Zone of the Amhara Region, as far north as Lake Ashenge, with whom the Raya Oromo and the Yejju Oromo are often grouped;
• The Ittu Oromo, who live in the Oromia Region from the Awash River east to a line drawn south of Dire Dawa;
• The Karayu Oromo, who live along the Awash valley in east Shawa as well as West Hararge
• The Aniya Oromo, who live south of the Ittu and west of the Erer River;
• The Afran Qallo which refer to the 4 decedents of Qallo, which are:
  • Ala Oromo, living west of the city of Harar and the Erer River
  • Oborra Oromo, living between the Ittu and Ala Oromo
  • Babille Oromo,living east of the Erer River in the Oromia Region
  • Dagaa Oromo (Huumee,Nole and Jarso):
    • ((Huumee - Mana Hiyyoo and Bursuug) who live between Laaftoo and Faafam rivers-the capital is Fuunyaan biiraa (Gursum);
    • Nole Oromo who live east of Dire Dawa and north of Harar;
    • Jarso who live in the northeastern corner of the Oromia Region;
• The Arsi Oromo, who primarily live in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region (which is named for them) as well as the Bale Zone; and
• The Qallu, who live between the Awash River and Dire Dawa.

References