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Eternal periphery? Toward a socio-political history of Maji, an Ethiopian frontier settlement, 1898-2020
Jon Abbink published a paper in the latest issue of the International Journal of African Historical Studies (56(3), 2023), on a curious small town: Maji, in Southern Ethiopia, where he did anthropological fieldwork. He argues that while Ethiopia as a whole is rapidly urbanising, this town escapes the trend, due to its peculiar history and its still 'isolated' geographical location in the utmost southwest of the country and without connecting roads to nearby Kenya or South Sudan. Its unique but problematic history and its social composition also contributed to the town's long-standing image as a 'periphery'
The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 56(3): 277-295.
About the author(s) / editor(s)
Jon Abbink is an anthropologist-historian and carries out research on the history and cultures of the Horn of Africa (Northeast Africa), particularly Ethiopia. He is Professor Emeritus of Politics and Governance in Africa at Leiden University.
Posted on 18 January 2024, last modified on 19 January 2024