Mustahīl (town)
Encyclopedia
Mustahīl is a town in eastern Ethiopia
, close to the border with Somalia
. Located in the Gode Zone
in the Somali Region
and straddling the Shabelle River, it has a latitude and longitude of 5°15′N 44°44′E with an altitude of 193 meters above sea level. It is the main town of the Mustahīl
woreda
.
. Colonel Rettli had his headquarters at Mustahil, where he made contact with Sultan Olol Diinle
and convinced him to support the Italian cause.
Mustahil has been subjected to a number of floods of the Shabelle. In October 1961, the river rose three meters. The Ethiopian Red Cross was among organizations providing aid in that crisis. Seven years later Mustahil suffered serious flooding again (May 1968). A third occasion was in April-May 2003, when the Shabelle once again burst its banks, forcing some 96,000 people to flee their homes. Kelafo
and Mustahil were amongst the hardest hit. A UNICEF representative said that the situation was "worse than any year before."
The BBC
reported 9 March 2009 that the Ogaden National Liberation Front
(ONLF) claimed it had captured Mustahil, having killed 80 Ethiopian soldiers, and was also fighting for control of Werder
and Kelafo
. The Ethiopian government denied this, claiming that the ONLF was on the run. On 12 May of that year, a clash was reported between ONLF fighters and the Ethiopian army at a checkpoint outside Mustahil. Two nomadic people at the scene were said to have been killed, while the ONLF claimed they killed 20 Ethiopian soldiers and destroyed two military vehicles.
in 2005, Mustahil has an estimated total population of 7,774, of whom 4,347 are men and 3,427 are women.
The 1997 census reported this town had a total population of 5,207 of whom 1,597 were men and 1,359 women. The largest ethnic group in Mustahil was the Somali people
(99.5%). One source states this town is dominated by the jidle, a Somali clan.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, close to the border with Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. Located in the Gode Zone
Gode Zone
Gode is one of nine Zones of the Somali Region, Ogaden, of Ethiopia. This zone is named for its largest city, Gode. Gode is bordered on the south by Afder, on the west by the Oromia Region, on the north by Fiq and Degehabur, on the northeast by Korahe and Werder, and on the east by the Provisional...
in the Somali Region
Somali Region
Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
and straddling the Shabelle River, it has a latitude and longitude of 5°15′N 44°44′E with an altitude of 193 meters above sea level. It is the main town of the Mustahīl
Mustahil (woreda)
Mustahil is one of the 47 woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gode Zone, Mustahil is bordered on the south by the Shebelle River which separates it from the Afder Zone, in the west by Kelafo, on the north by the Korahe Zone, and in the east by Ferfer. The major town in this...
woreda
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
.
History
In the early 1930s the Italians with their banda troops encroached some distance inside Ethiopian territory into the OgadenOgaden
Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...
. Colonel Rettli had his headquarters at Mustahil, where he made contact with Sultan Olol Diinle
Olol Diinle
Sultan Olol Diinle was the last sultan who ruled at Kelafo as a sultan of the Ajuran Somali clan lineage to rule an independent kingdom.-Historical Context:...
and convinced him to support the Italian cause.
Mustahil has been subjected to a number of floods of the Shabelle. In October 1961, the river rose three meters. The Ethiopian Red Cross was among organizations providing aid in that crisis. Seven years later Mustahil suffered serious flooding again (May 1968). A third occasion was in April-May 2003, when the Shabelle once again burst its banks, forcing some 96,000 people to flee their homes. Kelafo
Kelafo
Kelafo is a town in eastern Ethiopia. Located in the Gode Zone of the Somali Region, this town has a longitude and latitude of and an elevation of 233 meters above sea level....
and Mustahil were amongst the hardest hit. A UNICEF representative said that the situation was "worse than any year before."
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported 9 March 2009 that the Ogaden National Liberation Front
Ogaden National Liberation Front
The Ogaden National Liberation Front , is a separatist rebel group fighting to make the region of Ogaden in eastern Ethiopia an independent state...
(ONLF) claimed it had captured Mustahil, having killed 80 Ethiopian soldiers, and was also fighting for control of Werder
Werder
-People:*August von Werder , Prussian general*Ed Werder , U.S. sports journalist*Felix Werder , Australian-based composer of classical and electronic music...
and Kelafo
Kelafo
Kelafo is a town in eastern Ethiopia. Located in the Gode Zone of the Somali Region, this town has a longitude and latitude of and an elevation of 233 meters above sea level....
. The Ethiopian government denied this, claiming that the ONLF was on the run. On 12 May of that year, a clash was reported between ONLF fighters and the Ethiopian army at a checkpoint outside Mustahil. Two nomadic people at the scene were said to have been killed, while the ONLF claimed they killed 20 Ethiopian soldiers and destroyed two military vehicles.
Demographics
Based on figures from the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
in 2005, Mustahil has an estimated total population of 7,774, of whom 4,347 are men and 3,427 are women.
The 1997 census reported this town had a total population of 5,207 of whom 1,597 were men and 1,359 women. The largest ethnic group in Mustahil was the Somali people
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
(99.5%). One source states this town is dominated by the jidle, a Somali clan.