A History of Baso-Libän Wäräda: East Gojjam (1941-1991)

Abstract

The present study presents the history of Baso-Libän wäräda from 1941 to 1991. It starts its historical analysis of the wäräda by revealing different developments that Baso-Libän had experienced before the Italian occupation in the background. The restoration of the imperial rule and the changes the restored imperial administration had introduced especially in relation to administration and land relations and the subsequent reactions of the peasants of the wäräda against the introduced changes are the main themes of analysis for the period between 1944 and 1974. Moreover, the study assesses the security issues in the wäräda in the period under discussion. The coming to power of the Därg and its rural policies such as Development through cooperation campaign, the land reform, peasant associations and villagization programs were assessed from the experience of the waräda population. The study also tried to notice developments that the wäräda had experienced during the Därg regime. The new regime's attempt to place its power on a better footing by introducing several measures at a national level had its own negative effects and its challenges, and positive effects in the socio-economic and political lives of the peoples of the wäräda and they are the major areas of emphasis for the study. Finally, this study tries to show the socio-economic developments in the wäräda and concludes that during the imperial and the Därg regime the wäräda was inadequately provided with basic socio-economic facilities