In southern Ethiopia, thousands of people have been coming together for one of the country’s most significant cultural events: the Gada ceremony. This week-long celebration, which concluded on Sunday, marks the official transfer of power from one customary leader to another, a tradition that occurs every eight years. The Borana community has practiced this ritual for centuries, gathering at the rural site of Arda Jila Badhasa near the town of Arero.
The ceremony is a time to celebrate the community’s unique form of democracy and cultural heritage. Each age group takes the opportunity to wear their traditional outfits, which are paraded the day before the official handover during a procession. Married women march with wooden batons known as “siinqee,” which symbolize protection for women and are used to halt conflicts. If a siinqee stick is placed on the ground between quarreling parties by a married woman, it signals that the conflict must stop immediately out of respect.
During the procession, younger women lead at the front, distinguished from married women by the color of their clothing. In this pastoralist society, women are excluded from holding the top position of Abbaa Gadaa or sitting on the council of elders, nor are they initiated into the system as children. However, their important role is evident during the festival as they build all the accommodations for those staying for the week and prepare all the food.
The Gada system of governance, which was added to UNESCO’s cultural heritage list in 2016, allows women to attend regular community meetings and voice their opinions to the Abbaa Gadaa. Membership in the Gada system is only open to boys whose fathers are already members. Young initiates have their heads shaved at the crown to signify their rank. The smaller the circle, the older the initiate.
Oral historians teach young initiates about history, laws, rituals, time reckoning, cosmology, myths, rules of conduct, and the function of the Gada system. Training for boys begins as young as eight years old. Later, they are assessed for their potential as future leaders through tests that include walking long distances barefoot, slaughtering cattle efficiently, and showing kindness to fellow initiates. Headpieces made from cowrie shells are traditionally worn by young trainees, a privilege also reserved for elderly women. Both groups are revered by the Borana community.
Men aged between 28 and 32 are identified by ostrich feathers, known in the Afaan Oromo language as “baalli.” Their attendance at the Gada ceremony is an opportunity to learn, prepare, and bond, as it is already known who the Abbaa Gadaa from this age group will be taking power in 2033.
The main event at the recent Gada ceremony was the handover of power from the outgoing 48-year-old Abbaa Gadaa to his younger successor. Well-wishers crossed the border from Kenya, and others traveled from as far as Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to witness the spectacle. The governor of Kenya’s Marsabit county was among the honored guests.
Thirty-seven-year-old Guyo Boru Guyo, seen holding a spear, was chosen to lead because he impressed the council of elders during his teenage years. He becomes the 72nd Abbaa Gadaa and will now oversee the Borana community across borders in southern Ethiopia and northwestern Kenya. As their top diplomat, he will also be responsible for resolving feuds that often involve cattle raiding and disputes over access to water in this drought-prone region.
During his eight years at the helm, his successor will finish his training to take on the job in continuation of this generations-old tradition. This ceremony highlights the Borana community’s enduring tradition and democratic values, as well as the significant roles women and youth play in their society.
