Migration and Rural-Urban Linkages in Ethiopia

as well as other relevant studies and policy documents that are relevant to the dynamicsof migration between rural and urban areas in Ethiopia.1.3. Migration in Ethiopia: an analysis of the contextMigration processes have been crucial to the formation of Ethiopia. However, this sectionis confined to the recent migration history of Ethiopia focusing on four political periods:1) from the late nineteenth century (the Menelik period) until the Italian Occupation(1889-1941); 2) the post-liberation imperial Haile Selassie period (1941-1974); 3) theSocialist, Derg period (1974-1991); and 4) the current, EPRDF period (1991-to date).Early migration: From the Menelik period until the Italian Occupation (1887-1941)Ethiopia witnessed an increasing scale of peasant migration since the late nineteenth andearly twentieth centuries along with the conquest of the south and consolidation of thenation building process by Menelik II from 1889-1913 (Bjeren, 1985; Galperin, 1988;).Menelik’s expansion during this period was achieved through a series of militaryexpeditions, which, in turn, led to the formation of various garrison towns in the southand the establishment of a class of soldier-settlers who became landlords andappropriated tribute and labour from tenants (Bjeren, 1985). This period thus witnessedthe migration of soldiers and peasants from the north attracted by the potential of gainingaccess to land in the south, southwest and east of the country. While Gojjam, Gondar,parts of Wollo and Tigray provinces were the main sources of peasant migrations, theprincipal destinations were Wellega, South Shewa, Northern Sidamo, Arssi, NorthernBale and Gamu Gofa provinces and some areas of the Sudanese frontier (Galperin, 1988;McCann, 1988). Among the ‘push’ factors that contributed to the migration of these ruralpeople were shortage of land, low agricultural productivity, high population densities andrecurrent drought. The ‘pull’ factors were the opportunities of gaining control of morefertile land, tribute and labour in the frontiers of the empire. The exploitation of thepeasantry of the north by feudal lords and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as thedispossession of lands were mentioned by Galperin as major causes for the emigration ofthe rural peasants from the north to other urban and rural areas in the south and west(Galperin, 1988).The involvement of Ethiopia in the global economy and its linkages with the rest of theworld through religion, trade, postal and telegraphic systems during the last decade of thenineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries enhanced the exchange ofinformation and ideas within and outside of the country. This process was consolidatedby the foundation of Addis Ababa as the permanent capital of the country towards theend of the 1880s. The settlement of the nobility and regional leaders in encampments inthe capital attracted followers from their respective regions. The establishment of a cityresulted in the influx of labourers for construction of roads and buildings, and encouragedmerchants to service the growing population. The settlement in urban areas createddemands on the city administration to fulfil political, administrative and military6