Certainly, not all pre-colonial units in Africa were ethnically homogeneous. Social formations that are strongly marked by a pre-colonial ethnic division of labour, with complete interdependence of the units, as for instance in the valley of the Niger, escape from Hameso s observation. The other two editors are activists in support of human rights among the Oromo of Ethiopia. The second book is a collection of articles of different lengths and standards. The books complement each other.
Theory meets activism.
The fear of belittlement of what seems to be normal, ethnic representation relates Hameso s argument in support of positive ethnicity to its Ethiopian other , the imperial central State. The issue was national liberation . As a catchword, African socialism is obviously out. National liberation is associated with an older generation of activists. To give guidance and sense to a politics that is going on anyhow in Ethiopia, ethnicity might indeed become a functional tool for a new generation of activists.