Sokoru

Sokoru (also transliterated Sekoru) is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. This woreda is named after the former "awraja" of the same name, and covering much of the same territory as the current woreda, as well as its capital, Sekoru.

Part of the Jimma Zone, Sokoru is bordered on the south by Omo Nada, on the west by Tiro Afeta, and on the north and east by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region; the Gibe River defines the northern boundary. Besides the capital, other towns in this woreda include Deneba, Kumbi and Natri.

The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1160 to 2940 meters above sea level; the highest points include Ali Shashema, Ali Derar and Kumbi. Perennial rivers include the Gilgel Gibe, a tributary of the Gibe. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 36.6% is arable or cultivable, 16.8% pasture, 17.2% forest, and the remaining 29.4% is built-up or degraded. The Abelti-Gibe State Forest covers 159 square kilometres of the forested area. Teff is one important cash crop. [ [http://oromiagov.org/Socio%20Economic%20Profile/Djimma%20Zone/Djimma%20Zone.pdf "Socio-economic profile of the Djimma (sic) Zone"] Government of Oromia Region (last accessed 1 August 2006).] . Although coffee is another important cash crop of this woreda, less than 20 square kilometres are planted with this crop. [ [http://www.oromiacoffeeunion.org/production.htm "Coffee Production"] Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union website]

Industry in the woreda includes 21 grain mills and 2 furniture factories. There were 36 Farmers Associations with 14,161 members and 8 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 14,161 members. Sokoru has no kilometers of either dry-weather or all-weather road. About 72% of the urban population and 10.1% of the rural has access to drinking water. [Government of Oromia Region, "Socio-economic profile."]

Population

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 157,552, of whom 79,305 were males and 78,247 were females; 19,676 or 12.49% of its population are urban dwellers, which is about the same as the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 923.44 square kilometers, Sokoru has an estimated population density of 170.6 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 150.6. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Tables B.3 and B.4]

Although the predominant ethnic group of Dedo is the Oromo people, according to one source, in the early 1990s the Yem people people formed a significant minority, with significant populations in Sokoru, Deneba, and the surrounding villages. [ [http://www.sil.org/silesr/abstract.asp?ref=2002-052 Aklilu Yilma, "Pilot Survey of Bilingualism in Yem"] SILESR 2002-052, p.5 (accessed 1 June 2006)]

Notes