The road has a 365-meter bridge that crosses the Abay. Egypt's population of 109 million is projected to grow significantly in decades, further straining the demand for water in the region. Bambasi - Wikipedia There have been reports that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces took measure on up to 500 youths reportedly coming from Sudan with training and armament. It is becoming unsafe to present identity cards that show the holders ethnicity, even at security checkpoints, as this may result in persecution. I do not think the article addressed why the Gumuz rebel. While the world is focusing on the humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia caused by the war between the federal government and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, brutal repetitive attacks have taken place in the Metekkel zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz state in western Ethiopia. Read more: [4] On 28 July 2009, the Regional Rural Roads Authority reported that over the previous year almost 600 of the 800 kilometers of local all-weather roads had been upgraded at a cost of 11.5 million birr, and an additional 447 kilometers of roads constructed. As such, one could go so far as to argue that even bothering to conduct an election in Assosa while postponing elections in Metekel and Kamashi is effectively pointless. January 6, 2021, 4:10 AM On Dec. 22, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the vast lowland territory of Metekel in Ethiopia's far western region of Benishangul-Gumuz, the so-called. The Gumuz have traditionally been grouped with other Nilotic peoples living along the Sudanese-Ethiopian border under the collective name Shanqella (Pankhurst 1977). Luxury goods such as textiles and glass beads were imported via Sudan. Bender, M. Lionel. The attacks further threaten the stability of Africas second-most populous nation at a time when Mr. Abiy is already embroiled in an escalating conflict in the northern Tigray region, where he launched a major military operation on Nov. 4 that he said was intended to capture defiant local leaders. Violence by armed groups, and among ethnic-Gumuz, Agew, Amhara, and other communities in the Metekel zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz region, intensified in April, causing residents to flee.. Associate Professor of History, Colgate University. Isnt your residence enough for identity and language service purposes? Haavisto repeated urgent calls from the international community for the Ethiopian government to grant full humanitarian access to Tigray, including areas beyond its control. Originally, all Gumuz adorned their bodies with scarifications, but this custom is disappearing through government pressure and education. Haavisto, who met Abiy during his visit to Addis Ababa this month as part of a fact-finding mission, said Ethiopias leadership had failed to provide a clear picture of the situation in Tigray including the widely documented involvement of forces from neighbouring Eritrea. Haavisto also warned that Sudan is struggling to cope with the influx of people fleeing the fighting and said it risked creating a major refugee crisis. 1939-40. info@moh.gov.et. I have no confidence in the proposed solution. Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East, Ethiopian PM accuses Egypt, Sudan of backing unrest in western region. Unseth, Peter. UNHCR is working to install basic. Uzar, Henning. On 2 April, unnamed Gumuz militias claimed control of the administrative center of Sedal Wereda in Kamashi, very close to the construction site of the GERD. TV host Ahmed Moussa, who is close to security quarters in Egypt, broadcast on Sada el-Balad channel on April 25 video segments of Ethiopians chanting slogans against their prime minister and tearing up his photo. A general view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022. Lifelines: exchange marriage among the Gumuz. The CSA of Ethiopia estimated in 2005 that farmers in Benishangul-Gumuz had a total of 307,820 head of cattle (representing 0.79% of Ethiopia's total cattle), 65,800 sheep (0.38%), 244,570 goats (1.88%), 1,770 mules (1.2%), 37,520 asses (1.5%), 732,270 poultry of all species (2.37%), and 166,130 beehives (3.82%). Slaves were also smuggled into Sudan across the border, which was established in 1902. But over the next two years, experts say Egyptians could approach a state of "absolute" water scarcity. With mounting grievances against the regime, on 12 October 2020, the then chairman of the command post and deputy prime minister, Demeke Mekonnon, strangely and officially called people in Metekel to organize and arm themselves for defense. Benishangul Gumuz has an estimated area of 51,000 square kilometers and is located in the north-western part of Ethiopia. First, an area needs to be effectively controlled, ensuring the availability of appropriate levels of security, social services, and economic opportunities for returnees. In several parts of the Gumuz area, the settlers' economy dominated by 2018. He added, "Despite the plots and pressure, Ethiopia will fill the GERD reservoir on time. Besides the country is on the verge of being labeled as a pariah state, due to the conflict it has been ignited with western powers.It could be wise of the government, to step down from its rigid and jingoistic stance and try to accommodate to a certain degree, the interest of these three entities. The major road that connects the Metekel Zone and the Assosa Zone was built by the China Construction Company in 2012. Out of this, the Assosa Zone has 42 seats while Metekel and Kamashi zones have 33 and 20 seats respectively. Benshangul/Gumuz Region/ - Ethiopia Peace Observatory Rural population was 424,432, while the urban population was 36,027. [18] In 1898, Asosa became the political and economic capital. Benishangul-Gumuz ( Amharic: , romanized : Benangul Gumuz) is a regional state in northwestern Ethiopia to the border of Sudan. Separately, a European Union envoy warned the crisis in Tigray appears out of control, after visiting Ethiopia on behalf of the bloc. Currently, the regional government has some control in towns where administrative offices are located, but not much beyond that. Opposition political parties, like the Boro Democratic Party (BDP), rejected the 18 May agreement between the regional government and the leaders of the militias, which included power-sharing elements, as illegitimaterecalling that the only way to assume power should be through an election. Receive daily updates directly in your inbox -, Eastern Africa: Millions displaced, amid growing hunger, unprecedented needs, FAO ramps up support to Sudan farmers as starvation threat grows in East Africa, Hunger still rising across East Africa, says new UN-backed report, Battle not yet over against locust invasions in East Africa and Yemen, Humanitarians urge action to avert famine in Somalia and South Sudan, Sub-Saharan Africa under threat from multiple humanitarian crises. Thank you author and Ethiopia Insight. Sister exchange marriage. Putting an immediate and lasting end to violence is the first step towards assessing and addressing the heavy impact of unconstrained fighting. The region has faced major challenges to economic development, due to lack of transportation and communications infrastructure. Ethiopia's new party is welcome news, but faces big hurdles. In 2021, Egypt and Sudan held joint military exercises to showcase security ties between the two countries in response to the ongoing conflict, the Associated Press reported. Comparative Komuz grammar. In. As time passes, the Gumuz militias are strengthening their holdings and capacity, expanding and imposing their presence into Kamashi and Assosa zones. Indeed, on 10 June, there was a report of an attack by militias in Oda Bulidigilu Wereda which is located in Assosa Zone. In. #NEWS ALERT The number of #refugees in eastern Africa has tripled in the last decade to almost 5 million. The situation [in Metekel] has rapidly escalated in the past three months, Babar Baloch, UNHCR spokesman, told reporters in Geneva. Slavery did not disappear in Ethiopia until the 1940s. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Conditions for travel within zones varies, but is often poor and subject to disruption by the rainy season. The Blue Nile region is situated in the south-eastern part of Sudan, bordering Ethiopia and South Sudan. Although the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) confirmed that elections in Kamashi and Metekel zone will be conducted on 6 September, it is not clear if that is possible in light of continuing security crisis, mounting fear escalation in neighboring zones, and several people displaced. Anyone can read what you share. Built on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region, just 30 km from the border with Sudan, the GERD is nearing completion, with the Ethiopian government announcing in March 2023 that 90 per cent of the dam was finalized. 2023 Al-Monitor, LLC. You have come to the situation which is militarily and human rights-wise, humanitarian-wise very out of control, Finlands Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told journalists in Brussels, a day after briefing the blocs ministers on the crisis. The UNHCR said on Tuesday most of the 7,000 asylum seekers who fled Metekel have been living among Sudanese host communities. Even small-scale farm holders used to produce surpluses each year. However, Ethiopia Insight will correct clear factual errors. Following the adoption of the 1995 constitution, the region was created from the westernmost portion of the Gojjam province (the part north of the Abay River), and the northwestern portion of the Welega Province (the part south of the Abay). The parliamentary defense committee affirms the Egyptians right to resort to all means so as to preserve their rights, and that all options are available in countering the Ethiopian intransigence.. The agricultural implements and cutting tools of Begemder and Semyen, Ethiopia. These interest groups include actors from the neighbouring Amhara state who claim ownership of the Metekkel zone. The GERD is expected to make the country a major power exporter in the region. Both Egypt and Sudan argue that the dam affects the flow of the Nile waters into their respective countries. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Villages have been razed to the ground. The Involvement of External Forces behind Metekel Conflict - The Reporter [15][14], Later in the 19th century, Benishangul was affected by the Mahdi uprising. UNHCR and partners move refugees to safety in the Benishangul Gumuz region in Ethiopia. On Wednesday, Ethiopia said its military had killed three senior members of Tigrays former ruling party, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, including Seyoum Mesfin, a former foreign minister of Ethiopia. [5], Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the Benishangul-Gumuz Region has a total population of 784,345, consisting of 398,655 men and 385,690 women; urban inhabitants number 105,926 or 13.51% of the population. Awadi denied any Egyptian involvement in the recent violence in the Benishangul-Gumuz region. It criticised Sudan's 1 May claim of sovereignty over Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region, where the dam is being constructed. Concise, actionable scenarios and predictions from top regional experts. As the Berta People's Liberation Movement[21] or Benishangul People's Liberation Movement (BPLM), they - like the Gambella People's Liberation Movement of the Anuak in Gambella - were not accepted as full members of the EPRDF, but became regional partners of the new ruling coalition.[13]. [citation needed] The Gumuz number around 200,000 individuals. Weekly A.I. The Berta, Gumuz and Shinasha tend to have more in common with the people of neighbouring Sudan than with other Ethiopian peoples, while the Amhara and Tigrayans, who are known as Habesha (or "highlanders") are recent arrivals, who began to settle in the region during the Derg era. [22], Over 60% of this region is covered with forest, including bamboo, eucalyptus and rubber trees, incense and gum forests as well as the indigenous species. With national and international attention being pulled in many directionsmost notably towards war in Tigraythe problems of Benishangul-Gumuz are being eclipsed. The Gumuz see minorities as settlers, the rights group said. Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts. Dessalegn Chanie, an Amhara opposition politician, said there had been signs in recent days that armed men from the Oromo and Gumuz ethnic groups were preparing an attack, particularly in areas where there was little federal security presence. These regions served as slave-hunting grounds since Aksumite times, and their Nilosaharan-speaking inhabitants were pejoratively called Shanqella (anqlla, also Shanqila, Shankella) by the highland Ethiopians. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that spiralling costs of food and fuel were adding to the toxic mix. As a result, ethnic clashes that had already been growing for months have only gotten worse. "Folks have never actually went to war just because of water. In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his country should be ready for a war with Egypt over the dispute. 1985. Like other regions in Ethiopia, Benishangul-Gumuz is subdivided into administrative zones. On 21 May, the National Election Board of Ethiopia confirmed that the election, which will take place on 21 June, will not take place in both Metekel and Kamashi zones, indicating that registration of voters did not occur due to security reasons. That means the election will only take place in Benishangul-Gumuzs Assosa Zone. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government has provided scant information on recent violence in Benishangul-Gumuz, particularly in Metekel zone, where Debate is located. Blood was flooding from his neck, he said. They speak the Gumuz language, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan family. Aside to inserting new jaw dropping territorial claims including Benishangul-Gumuz region, Sudan also announced that it possesses documents confirming Ethiopia's recognition of the disputed . As a result, the militias are strengthening their holdings and bargaining power. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a massive hydropower plant on the River Nile that neighbors Sudan and Egypt, as the dam started to produce electricity, Feb. 19, 2022, in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. Climate change, population growth and a regional fight for water resources are all contributing to the risk of water imbalance, experts say. Benishangul-Gumz Regional Health Bureau; Benishangul-Gumz Regional Health Bureau. [13], According to Negasso Gidada, Oromo penetration into the region began in the mid-18th century. Ethiopia may not have control over the behavior of Egypt and Sudan. The completion of a mega-dam on the river poses another significant threat to the water supply in the region, critics of the project say. The most affected states are Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, Lakes, Eastern Equatoria (Kapoeta East) and Warrap - more than 80 per cent of those food insecure. Millions of displaced families across eastern Africa will fall deeper into hunger as food rations dwindle due to humanitarian resources being stretched to the limit as the world grapples with a toxic cocktail of conflict, climate shocks, and COVID-19, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday. The area comprising Benishangul-Gumuz formally became part of Ethiopia under the terms of a Nile-focused 1902 treaty signed by Emperor Menelik II with Great Britain, which ruled Sudan. Do any of these explain the rebellion? The access situation in Benishangul-Gumuz and parts of western Oromia has evolved since OCHA's map from late January - some improvements but still large areas "hard-to-reach" due to the security situation & related restrictions. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said more than 180 people were killed in separate massacres in Metekel in December and January. Assosa Zone makes less than half of constituencies, which does not guarantee the establishment of a regional government. Major roads are still closed. [citation needed]. The area has been under the stewardship of the command post since September 2020. Benishangul-Gumuz conflict - Wikipedia The boundary was confirmed in 1902 by Ethiopia and Sudan. Twelve people were killed. 1993. On Dec. 22, Mr. Abiy took time out from the campaign in Tigray to visit Benishangul-Gumuz and calm tensions in the area. At least 7,000 people who fled escalating ethnic violence in western Ethiopia have sought asylum in neighbouring Sudan, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has said, amid heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries. Eastern Africa: Millions displaced, amid growing hunger, 'unprecedented It was not until the mid-20th century that Berta also settled in the lowlands, as slave hunts and armed conflict had ended. The EU has joined the United States in demanding Eritrean troops withdraw. Its not hard to see how the situation could spiral, now that a violent and chaotic organization has been officially empowered through a package of incentives. This is because the Blue Nile, which originates from Ethiopia, supplies up to 80% of the Nile waters. Abiy, the winner of the Nobel 2019 Peace Prize, declared victory after federal forces entered the regional capital of Mekelle in late November, though the TPLF pledged to fight on and clashes have persisted in the region, hampering efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance. Fighting broke out on 18 January in the town of Tongo - reportedly between unidentified armed groups and federal forces - and the nearby camp . UNHCR and partners move refugees to safety in the Benishangul Gumuz region in Ethiopia. The attacks have been aggravated by recent land grabs by Amhara and other non-indigenous investors who want to control the zones agricultural and mining sectors. Abiys visit to the area was, unfortunately, followed by an escalation of the conflict and mass killings. 4 February 2022 Humanitarian Aid UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and partners are rushing life-saving aid to more than 20,000 refugees after they fled clashes in Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz.
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