Itang

Itang (also spelled Etang;[1] Ethiopic: ኢታንግ[2]) is a town in the Gambela Region in western Ethiopia. Within Gambela, Itang belongs to Itang woreda which forms a special woreda. Located on the Baro River (also known as the Openo River or the Upeno River), this town has a latitude and longitude of 08°12′N 34°16′E with an elevation of 480 meters above sea level.

Itang
Itang
Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates: 08°12′N 34°16′E
CountryEthiopia
RegionGambela
Special woredaItang
Elevation
480 m (1,570 ft)
Population
 (2005)
 • Total3,601
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

History

The town's importance can be traced to Article IV of the treaty signed by Emperor Menelik and the British minister, Harrington, in May 1902, which defined the boundary between Ethiopia and Sudan and designated the Itang area as a British trading enclave. However, Itang was too far from the Ethiopian Plateau, and after the Ethiopian government authorized the transfer on 8 October 1904, the concession was moved upstream to Gambela.[3]

In the 1980s, the Second Sudanese Civil War led to the influx of refugees from Southern Sudan, with the Itang camp becoming the largest refugee camp in the world for some time.[4]

Itang was partially flooded by the Openo in mid-1998 and July–August 1999.[5]

Demographics

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this town has an estimated total population of 3,601 of whom 1,929 were males and 1,672 were females.[2] The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 2,106 of whom 1,176 were males and 930 were females.

According to the 1994 national census, its total population was 2,106. The ethnic breakdown was 53.7% Anuak, 28.54% Nuer, 6.79% Oromo, 6.41% Amhara, 1.57% Tigray, and 3% all others.[6]

Notable people

Commander William Nyuon Bany and co-founder of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), lived at Itang.[7] His daughter Nyadol Nyuon, Australian lawyer and human rights activist, was born in the Itang refugee camp.[8]

Notes
  1. "Census 2007" Archived 2012-02-14 at the Wayback Machine, first draft, p. 81
  2. CSA 2005 National Statistics Archived 2006-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, Table B.4
  3. Bahru Zewde, "An Overview and Assessment of Gambela Trade (1904-1935)", International Journal of African Historical Studies, 20 (1987), pp. 79f
  4. John Young, "Along Ethiopia's Western Frontier: Gambela and Benishangul in Transition", Journal of Modern African Studies, 37 (1999), p. 331
  5. "Local History in Ethiopia" The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 1 June 2008)
  6. The 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Gambela Region, vol.1 Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, p. 36
  7. Teresa; Santino, Deng; Santino, Deng; Santino, Deng (21 June 2019). "Brief Biography and Facts About Major(Cdr). Late William Nyuon Bany Machar". City Scrollz. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  8. Rayson, Hannie (24 May 2019). "I feel free: Lawyer Nyadol Nyuon's journey from horror to hope". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
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