# Asosa

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Capital of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia

Capital city in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia

Asosa Asoosaa(Afaan Oromoo) Capital city From top left: Scene of Asosa's arid regions with the latter being Asosa Airport Nickname: አሶሳ Asosa Location within Ethiopia Show map of Ethiopia Asosa Location within the Horn of Africa Show map of Horn of Africa Asosa Location within Africa Show map of Africa Coordinates: 10°04′N 34°31′E / 10.067°N 34.517°E / 10.067; 34.517 Country Ethiopia Region Benishangul-Gumuz Zone Asosa Elevation 1,570 m (5,150 ft) Population (2005) • Total 20,226 Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)

**Asosa** or **Assosa** is the capital of [Benishangul-Gumuz Region](/source/Benishangul-Gumuz_Region), [Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia). Located in the [Asosa Zone](/source/Asosa_Zone), this town has a latitude and longitude of [10°04′N 34°31′E / 10.067°N 34.517°E / 10.067; 34.517](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Asosa&params=10_04_N_34_31_E_), with an elevation of 1,570 meters.

## History

According to the Dutch explorer [Juan Maria Schuver](/source/Juan_Maria_Schuver), who visited the town in 1881, Asosa was "a prosperous village as several slave-merchants live here" who travelled to [Leqa Naqamte](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leqa_Naqamte&action=edit&redlink=1) and to the [Kwama people](/source/Kwama_people) to purchase slaves. He also mentions that "fine views are obtained at Inzing [the earlier name for Asosa] into the forestclad ravines that plunge down into the White Nile basin."[1]

A Belgian force from the Congo captured Asosa on 11 March 1941, destroying the [Italian](/source/Italy) 10th Brigade and capturing 1,500 men.[2]

During the [Ethiopian Civil War](/source/Ethiopian_Civil_War), the [Oromo Liberation Front](/source/Oromo_Liberation_Front) (OLF) captured Asosa from the [Derg](/source/Derg) in early January 1990, and held the city for a brief time. During the occupation, the government airforce subjected Asosa to aerial attacks several times that month, killing 19 people and wounding 20.[3] Before the Derg withdrew from Asosa, it destroyed the town's only electricity generator, stole 1.8 million [Birr](/source/Ethiopian_Birr) from the bank, most of which were deposits from the local farmer cooperatives, and took any valuable items its troops could carry.[4]

During the 1990s, Asosa was characterised by entire government office complexes of partially completed buildings, which John Young notes was "testimony to corrupt relations between politicians and contractors." Young continues, "Indicative of the scale of the problem, during a peace and development conference held in Asosa in June 1996, the then deputy prime minister, [Tamrat Layne](/source/Tamrat_Layne), dismissed the entire regional government and had many of its members imprisoned for corruption."[5]

The governor of the town of Asosa, Ahmed Khalifa, on 7 July 2007 fled to [Ad-Damazin](/source/Ad-Damazin), the capital of the [Blue Nile State](/source/Blue_Nile_State), in Sudan. Khalifa was accused by the Ethiopian authorities of offering concessions to Sudan on border issues. Sudan turned down a request to return Khalifa to Ethiopia, resulting in increased tensions between the two countries.[6]

## Demographics

Market women in Asosa

Based on figures from the [Central Statistical Agency](/source/Central_Statistical_Agency_(Ethiopia)) in 2015, Asosa has an estimated total population of 20,226, of whom 10,929 are men and 9,297 are women.[7]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for Asosa of 11,749 in 2,825 households, of whom 6,324 were men and 5,425 women. The six largest ethnic groups reported in this town were the [Oromo](/source/Oromo_people) (41.19%), the [Amhara](/source/Amhara_people) (29.93%), the [Berta](/source/Berta_people) (17.39%), the [Tigrayan](/source/Tigrayans) (5.43%), the [Sebat Bet](/source/Sebat_Bet_Gurage_language) [Gurage](/source/Gurage_people) (1.35%), and the [Silt'e](/source/Silt'e_people) (1.29%); all other ethnic groups made up 3.42% of the population. [Oromiffa](/source/Oromo_language) was spoken as a first language by 44.42%, 31.53% spoke [Amharic](/source/Amharic_language), 15.98% [Berta](/source/Berta_language), and 4.43% [Tigrinya](/source/Tigrinya_language); the remaining 3.64% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed [Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity](/source/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Christianity), with 54.92% of the population having reported they practised that belief, while 29.75% of the population said they were [Muslim](/source/Islam_in_Ethiopia), and 14.89% were [Protestant](/source/P'ent'ay).[8] It is the largest settlement in [Asosa](/source/Asosa_(woreda)) [woreda](/source/Woreda).

## Climate

The climate is a [tropical savanna climate](/source/Tropical_savanna_climate) (Koppen: Aw), showing traits of a [humid subtropical climate](/source/Humid_subtropical_climate) (Koppen: Cwa), with dry winters and warm and rainy summers. Droughts are common.

Climate data for Asosa Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 37.2 (99.0) 36.6 (97.9) 36.8 (98.2) 38.5 (101.3) 38.0 (100.4) 32.5 (90.5) 30.5 (86.9) 29.4 (84.9) 29.5 (85.1) 35.5 (95.9) 35.6 (96.1) 33.0 (91.4) 38.5 (101.3) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30.5 (86.9) 31.8 (89.2) 32.5 (90.5) 31.7 (89.1) 28.5 (83.3) 25.4 (77.7) 24.6 (76.3) 24.6 (76.3) 25.5 (77.9) 26.4 (79.5) 28.1 (82.6) 29.1 (84.4) 28.2 (82.8) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 14.2 (57.6) 15.5 (59.9) 16.5 (61.7) 16.3 (61.3) 15.8 (60.4) 15.3 (59.5) 14.7 (58.5) 14.6 (58.3) 14.7 (58.5) 14.8 (58.6) 14.9 (58.8) 14.3 (57.7) 15.1 (59.2) Record low °C (°F) 8.1 (46.6) 8.2 (46.8) 9.0 (48.2) 5.0 (41.0) 6.0 (42.8) 10.0 (50.0) 9.0 (48.2) 8.0 (46.4) 7.0 (44.6) 7.5 (45.5) 9.0 (48.2) 6.7 (44.1) 5.0 (41.0) Average rainfall mm (inches) 0 (0) 4 (0.2) 23 (0.9) 60 (2.4) 134 (5.3) 195 (7.7) 234 (9.2) 237 (9.3) 194 (7.6) 132 (5.2) 21 (0.8) 2 (0.1) 1,236 (48.7) Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 0 0 2 5 12 13 20 21 19 15 3 0 110 Source 1: National Meteorology Agency[9] Source 2: World Meteorological Organisation (rainy days)[10]

## Notable people

- [Meaza Ashenafi](/source/Meaza_Ashenafi) (born 1964), lawyer and women's rights activist

## See also

- [Africa portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Africa)

- [List of cities and towns in Ethiopia](/source/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Ethiopia)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Wendy James](/source/Wendy_James), Gerd Baumann, and Douglas H. Johnson, *Juan Maria Schuver's Travels in North East Africa, 1880-1883* (London: Hakluyt Society, 1996), pp. 108f [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [090418045X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/090418045X)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Local History in Ethiopia"](http://130.238.24.99/library/resources/dossiers/local_history_of_ethiopia/A/ORTARG.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070927023043/http://130.238.24.99/library/resources/dossiers/local_history_of_ethiopia/A/ORTARG.pdf) 2007-09-27 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 4 September 2007)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Africa Watch Report, [*Ethiopia: "Mengistu has Decided to Burn Us like Wood": Bombing of Civilians and Civilian Targets by the Air Force*](https://www.hrw.org/reports/pdfs/e/ethiopia/ethiopia907.pdf), 24 July 1990

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** John Young, ["Along Ethiopia's Western Frontier: Gambella and Benishangul in Transition"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/161849), *[Journal of Modern African Studies](/source/Journal_of_Modern_African_Studies)*, 37 (1999), p. 327

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** John Young, "Ethiopia's Western Frontier", p. 336

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Tension grows along Sudan-Ethiopia border"](http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27778) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080804032742/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27778) 2008-08-04 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *Sudan Times* website (accessed 28 December 2009)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [CSA 2005 National Statistics](http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20061123121716/http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm) November 23, 2006, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Table B.4

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [*1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Vol. 1*](http://www.csa.gov.et/surveys/Population%20and%20Housing%20Census%201994/survey0/data/docs/report/Statistical_Report/k06/k06.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081120000024/http://www.csa.gov.et/surveys/Population%20and%20Housing%20Census%201994/survey0/data/docs/report/Statistical_Report/k06/k06.pdf) November 20, 2008, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Tables 2.2, 2.3, 2.13, 2.16, 2.20 (accessed 30 December 2008)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NMA_9-0)** ["Climate of City: Asossa"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111023124704/http://www.ethiomet.gov.et/climates/climate_of_city/2388/Asossa). National Meteorology Agency. Archived from [the original](http://www.ethiomet.gov.et/climates/climate_of_city/2388/Asossa) on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WMO_10-0)** ["World Weather Information Service – Asosa"](https://worldweather.wmo.int/060/c01918.htm). World Meteorological Organisation. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131023023516/http://worldweather.wmo.int/060/c01918.htm) from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2019.

Authority control databases International VIAF National United States Israel Other Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Asosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asosa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asosa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.