Western Galla Confederation

Last updated
Western Oromia
1936
Capital Gore
Historical era Second Italo-Ethiopian War
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg Ethiopian Empire
Italian East Africa Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg

The Macha Oromo Confederation, also known as the Western Oromo Confederation or simply as Macha Oromo, was an Oromo separatist movement in Abyssinia during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. The movement sought to split off from Abyssinia and become a mandate of the United Kingdom, but gained no international recognition.

Captain Esme Nourse Erskine was the British Consul at Gore from 1928 to 1936. [1] During the Italian invasion 1935-1936, Erskine helped the Western Oromo Confederation chiefs with their application, which he probably drafted, to the League of Nations, in which Oromo chiefs asked “to be placed under a British mandate … until we achieve self government”. He forwarded the applications to the British Foreign Office. [2] The British government declined to forward these applications to the League of Nations. [3]

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References

  1. London Gazette 4 December 1928 Issue 33444 page 7975.
  2. Morton, C. (2020). The Anthropological Lens: Rethinking EE Evans-Pritchard. Oxford University Press, USA. DOI:10.1093/oso/9780198812913.003.0006. p.149/150. Photographs of the applications, dated 25 May 1936, are in the National Archives, FO 371/20206.
  3. National Archives, FO 371/20206 and Heli von Rosen (2013), Gustaf von Rosen: An Airborne Knight-errant (English translation Printed privately), p.81 Carl Gustaf von Rosen: An Airborne Knight-errant - Heli von Rosen - Google Books.

Sources