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88-743: Nomadic life in the Ali Sabieh Region dates back at least 2,000 years. During the Middle Ages, the Ali Sabieh Region was ruled by the Ifat Sultanate and the Adal Sultanate . It later formed a part of the French Somaliland protectorate in the first half of the 20th century. Considered the border with Ethiopia, the area had few permanent settlements at the turn of the 20th century. In 1904, a report notes that "when

176-554: A Muslim Ethiopia. Amda Seyon's royal chronicle states that Sabr ad-Din proclaimed: In fact, after his first incursion, Sabr ad-Din appointed governors for nearby and neighboring provinces such as Fatagar and Alamalé, as well as far-off provinces in the north like Damot , Amhara , Angot , Inderta , Begemder , and Gojjam . He also threatened to plant khat at the capital, a stimulant used by Muslims but forbidden to Ethiopian Orthodox Christians . Sabr ad-Din's rebellion in early 1332, with its religious support and ambitious goals,

264-731: A battle in 1376. According to historian Mordechai Abir , the continued warfare between Ifat Sultanate and the Ethiopian Emperor was a part of the larger geopolitical conflict, where Egypt had arrested Coptic Church's Patriarch Marcos in 1352. This arrest led to retaliatory arrest and imprisonment of all Egyptian merchants in Ethiopia. In 1361, the Egyptian Sultan al-Malik al-Salih released the Patriarch and then sought amicable relations with Ethiopian Emperor. The actions of

352-604: A bi-national public company headquartered in Addis Ababa, was formed in 2017 to operate the railway. It is owned by the governments of Ethiopia (75% share) and Djibouti (25% share). Ethiopia holds the CEO post, represented through the Ethiopian Minister of Transport . The company currently occupies an administrative role, but it will take over railway operations at the beginning of 2024. Through 2023, all operations on

440-630: A campaign further west along the coast, near the vicinity of Zeila . Before the establishment of Ifat eastern Ethiopia was ruled by the Gidaya , Dawaro, Sawans, Bali, and Fatagar . These states were incorporated into the Ifat Sultanate however they managed to maintain a source of independence after Ifat collapsed. When Ifat was abolished by the Ethiopian Empire these states were also invaded, however Fatagar still managed to stay under

528-464: A catastrophic drought, and the port of Djibouti was backed up with ships waiting to unload grain for hungry Ethiopians. Although construction was still in progress on some sections, the completed portion of the railway was put into emergency operation in November 2015 to carry grain to drought-stricken Ethiopia. The officially completed Ethiopian section was formally inaugurated on 5 October 2016 in

616-628: A combined effort of the two governments of Djibouti and Ethiopia. In the second half of 2017, construction works started at the Port of Doraleh near the DCT to link this container terminal with the railway. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway project provided lessons for other railway projects in Ethiopia. The Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway and the Hara Gebeya–Mek'ele Railway construction projects were expanded to include supporting infrastructure. To make up for

704-426: A process of industrialization. The entire region has been significantly affected by caravan activities to and from Ethiopia. The capital city concentrates almost all of the factors driving the economy. This is where all civil servants and other agents work in the decentralized departments of ministries, in public institutions. Most of the small business units (shops, grocery stores, taxis and internetcafes) are located in

792-526: A river ( Awash River ), was well peopled and had an army of 20,000 soldiers and 15,000 horsemen. Al Umari mentioned seven cities in Ifat: Biqulzar , Kwelgora , Shimi, Shewa , Adal , Jamme and Laboo. While reporting that its center was "a place called Walalah, probably the modern Wäläle south of Šäno in the Ěnkwoy valley, about 50 miles ENE of Addis Ababa ", G.W.B. Huntingford "provisionally" estimated its southern and eastern boundaries were along

880-680: A second wave of populations fleeing hostilities took refuge in Ali Sabieh. In 1984, A severe drought that struck the Aysha and Hadagalah regions and decimated thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of sheep and cattle caused a human flood, particularly towards Ali Sabieh . In 1991 during the Somali Civil War a fourth wave of populations came to take refuge in Ali Sabieh and also in Ali Adde and Holhol . The local commercial sector

968-580: A spur line to Modjo Dry Port started in 2017 and was well underway in May 2017. The Modjo Dry Port railway loading and unloading facilities became partially operational at the end of 2017, but are (2018) still not completed. The three missing railway facilities at the Port of Doraleh, connections and railway terminals (Djibouti Container Terminal (DCT), Doraleh Multipurpose Port (DMP) and the Horizon Oil Terminal (HDTL)) will "soon" be built through

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1056-511: A station building attached to it. The platforms are about 200, 300, or 400 meters long. The Awash station, the only one with three platforms, is also located along the railway but also at the junction point with the Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway . The Furi-Labu and Dewale stations have two platforms. All station buildings along the line contain facilities for ticketing and refreshment, and they even have prayer rooms. The architecture of

1144-462: A valley next to a river. He calculates the astronomical position of the city being 8 latitude and 57 longitude according to Arab computation, which is located on the eastern edge of Shewa . Ifat Sultanate was also alternatively known as the state of Zeila . According to Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari , Ifat was a state close to the Red Sea coast, 15 days by 20 days "normal traveling time". The state had

1232-443: Is a standard gauge international railway that serves as the backbone of the new Ethiopian National Railway Network . The railway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on January 1, 2018. It provides landlocked Ethiopia with access to the sea, linking Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa with Djibouti and its Port of Doraleh . More than 95% of Ethiopia's trade passes through Djibouti, accounting for 70% of

1320-479: Is also the practice of small business and other informal activities. The proximity of the Ethiopian border, the railway activities linking Djibouti to Ethiopia , the storage of goods in transit to Ethiopia and the use of building materials (Ali Sabieh Cement) have made the city of Ali Sabieh a place for exchanges of cross flows. Its prospects for development are characterized by cross-border commercial dynamics and

1408-453: Is believed to be the first inland Muslim state and by the time it was incorporated into Ifat much of the inhabitants of Shewa land were Muslims. According to the chronicle of Shewa Sultanate converting the inhabitants in the area begun in 1108, and the first to convert were the Gbbah people whom Trimingham suggested them being the ancestors of Argobbas. A few years later after the conversion of

1496-415: Is centered on construction (cement) and storage of goods in transit to Ethiopia. Towns in the region have experienced significant growth with the increasing industrialization. The area has also seen some investment. Ali Sabieh is the fourth largest Region in the country. It contains around 16.5% of the nation's landmass. In total area, it is larger than Mauritius and smaller than Samoa . The Arta lies to

1584-517: Is supplied at 35.8 km intervals, with 18+1 stations in Ethiopia and three in Djibouti. General electrification ends after the Djibouti –Nagad passenger station. Trains are pulled by diesel locomotives to reach the Port of Doraleh and cargo terminals at inland dry ports. This is necessary to avoid interference between the overhead catenary and loading cranes. The rolling stock is allocated from

1672-562: Is the only double-track section of the line, and it also has the highest grades with a net elevation loss of 650 meters. It features several viaducts with lengths of up to 800 meters. The remainder of the railway is single-track, with passing loops distributed evenly along its length. The railway begins at Sebeta, just outside of Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa . The city is served by two stations in its southern outskirts, at Furi-Lebu  [ zh ] and Indode . The line then runs southeast to Modjo and Adama, both towns located in

1760-620: The Amhara pursued Sa'd al-Din as far as the peninsula of Zeila , in the ocean, where he took refuge. The Amhara besieged him there, and deprived him of water; at last one of the impious showed them a way by which they could reach him. When they came upon him a battle ensued; and after three days the water failed. Sa'd al Din was wounded in the forehead and fell to the ground, whereupon they pierced him with their swords. But he died happily, falling in God's cause. After Sa'ad ad-Din's death “the strength of

1848-458: The Amhara region . According to fourteenth century historian Al Umari , the ruler of Ifat donned headbands made of silk. According to Mohammed Hassen Ifat's infantry consisted of the Argobba people . Ifat's inhabitants, according to Nehemia Levtzion Randall Pouwels, and Ulrich Brakumper include nomadic groups such as Somalis , Afars and Warjih people whom were already Muslims by

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1936-705: The Awash River , the western frontier a line drawn between Medra Kabd towards the Jamma river east of Debre Libanos (which it shared with Damot ), and the northern boundary along the Adabay and Mofar rivers. The al-Umari territorial account of Ifat Sultanate implies a size of 300 kilometers by 400 kilometers, which may be an exaggeration, according to Richard Pankhurst . According to Taddesse Tamrat, Ifat's borders included Fatagar , Dawaro and Bale . The port of Zeila provided an entry point for trade and served as

2024-473: The Awash–Hara Gebeya Railway , which is under construction as of 2018. Directly after Awash station, the line crosses 60 meters above the Awash River canyon over a 155 meter long bridge, the main bridge of the railway. The railway then proceeds to Dire Dawa , where it turns and heads directly for Djibouti. Crossing the Ethiopia-Djibouti border between Dewale and Ali Sabieh , the line reaches

2112-472: The Djibouti passenger terminal at Nagad railway station , near Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport . Freight trains continue the last 12 km (7.5 mi) to the Port of Doraleh on diesel power . There are 21 dedicated railway stations along the railway; all of them can serve as passing loop stations, as they have three tracks or more (except the Adigala station which has only two tracks). Four of

2200-544: The Ethiopian Great Rift Valley . At Modjo, a railway junction exists for the planned Modjo–Hawassa Railway . In addition, at Modjo the railway is connected to the Modjo Dry Port , Ethiopia's most important inland dry port and also Ethiopia's main hub for domestic and international freight services. At Adama, the railway turns northeast towards Dire Dawa. At Awash , there is a junction with

2288-543: The Houthi rebel attacks on the Red Sea since mid-October 2023. The construction of the railway line was an EPC/Turnkey project. However, the accompanying infrastructure was neglected, and the railway was not ready to go into commercial operation at its commissioning. The railway line was built without access roads or freight trunk connections to existing sea and dry ports, industrial zones, and other storage depots. It

2376-523: The Modjo Dry Port near Mojo railway station. Shortage of electrical power has been blamed for test failures. The railway finally began commercial operations on 1 January 2018. There are plans about further extension of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway to Yemen via 32 km (20 mi)-long Bridge of the Horns but cancelled by various reasons e.g. Yemeni Civil War since 2014 and

2464-880: The National Railway Network of Ethiopia . All the rolling stock had been purchased by Ethiopian Railways Corporation (ERC). All the rolling stock has been transferred to the Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Share Company (EDR) which operates the railway as a share kind contribution by ERC. EDR owns these rolling stocks. EDR is also expected to procure additional rolling stocks to expand its operations. Djibouti did not buy any rolling stock, and even shunting operations at Djibouti's Port of Doraleh will be performed by EDR rolling stock and EDR personnel. Djibouti chose to pay its share on railway construction instead of buying vehicles. Construction began in 2011 and

2552-484: The Walashma dynasty , the polity stretched from Zequalla to the port city of Zeila . The kingdom ruled over parts of what are now Ethiopia , Djibouti , Somaliland , Somalia . The earliest account of Ifat Sultanate comes from Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi . He says that the region is called Jabarta and its capital is called Wafāt. Its population, who are Muslim, are ethnically mixed. The city sat upon an elevated place in

2640-402: The 21 railway stations are designed as passing loops only, so there is no freight loading / unloading or passenger service. Two of the remaining 17 stations are freight yards only and two others will be for passengers only. The remaining 13 stations can handle both passenger services as well as freight loading / unloading. The 15 passenger stations usually have a single boarding platform, with

2728-473: The Chinese Class 1 standard for all of its railways. The operators of the railway consider an annual freight tonnage that is far below the railway limits. As a rule of thumb, the operators foresee an annual freight tonnage increase of about one million tonne per year, starting at 1–2 million tonnes in the first year of operations. Although road traffic in Ethiopia drives on the right, trains drive on

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2816-670: The Djibouti border was awarded to CRCC. In 2012, Djibouti selected CRCC to complete the final 100 km to the port of Djibouti. The total costs of the railway amounted to US$ 1.873 billion for the Sebeta-Mieso section, US$ 1.12 billion for the Mieso– Dewele section and US$ 525 million for the Dewele–Port of Doraleh section. In 2013, loans totalling US$ 3 billion were secured from the Exim Bank of China , with US$ 2.4 billion going to

2904-689: The ERC stepped in to build and construct the needed infrastructure. Active in particular was the Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Enterprise (ESL) to build spurs to facilities like dry ports and the dry ports as such. Construction of the Dire Dawa Dry Port with a spur line commenced in late 2017. However, it took 12 months just to negotiate the contract for the dry port construction and the construction works turned out to be much more expensive than originally expected. The construction of

2992-792: The Ethiopian empire were largely hit-and-run type, which hardened the resolve of the Christian ruler to end the Muslim rule in their east. In the early 15th century, the Ethiopian Emperor who was likely Dawit I collected a large army to respond. He branded the Muslims of the surrounding area "enemies of the Lord", and invaded Ifat. After much war, Ifat's troops were defeated in 1403 on the Harar plateau, Sultan Sa'ad ad-Din subsequently fled to Zelia where Ethiopian soldiers pursued him. Al-Maqrizi narrates:

3080-685: The Ethiopian section of the railway and the balance to be spent in Djibouti. Additional funding was secured from the China Development Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China . 20,000 Ethiopians and 5,000 Djiboutians were hired for construction work. Track-laying was completed on the Mieso–Djibouti segment of the project in June 2015. In 2015, farmers in Ethiopia had suffered crop failures of between 50% and 90% due to

3168-521: The Gabal (or Warjeh people today called Tigri Worji ); and much of the inhabitants of Ankober, were under the Sultanate of Ifat. Tegulat, previously the capital of Shewa Sultanate, is situated on a mountain 24 km north of Debre Berhan and was known by Muslims as Mar'ade. The chronicle of Amda Tsion even mentions Khat being widely consumed by Muslims in the city of Marade. Tegulat, later became

3256-412: The Gabal (or Warjeh people today called Tigri Worji ); and much of the inhabitants of Ankober, were under the Sultanate of Ifat. Tegulat, previously the capital of Shewa Sultanate, is situated on a mountain 24 km north of Debre Berhan and was known by Muslims as Mar'ade. The chronicle of Amda Tsion even mentions Khat being widely consumed by Muslims in the city of Marade. Tegulat, later became

3344-537: The Gbbah people, the chronicle of Shewa sultanate mentions that in 1128 the Amhara fled from the land of Werjih. The Werjih were a pastoral people, and in the fourteenth century they occupied the Awash Valley east of Shewan Plateau. By the mid-fourteenth century, Islam expanded in the region and the inhabitants north of Awash river were the Muslim people of Zaber and Midra Zega (located south of modern Merhabete );

3432-824: The Ifat Sultanate and Muslim kingdoms in the Horn of Africa, states Abir, were linked to the Muslim-Christian conflicts between Egypt and Ethiopia. In 1376, Sultan Sa'ad ad-Din Abdul Muhammad , also called Sa'ad ad-Din II, succeeded his brother and came to power, who continued to attack the Abyssinian Christian army. He attacked regional chiefs such as at Zalan and Hadeya, who supported the Emperor. According to Mordechai Abir, Sa'ad ad-Din II raids against

3520-492: The Midra Zega and Menz people who were then Muslims, fought the emperor in the battle of Marra Biete in an area somewhere south of Marra Biete in modern North Shewa . Dadader forces were able to surround the emperor Amda Seyon I , who nevertheless succeeded in defeating them and killed the commander Dadader in the battle . Sabr ad-Din's rebellion was not an attempt to achieve independence, but to become emperor of

3608-500: The Muslims was abated”, as Marqrizi states, and then the Amhara settled in the country “and from the ravaged mosques and they made churches”. The followers of Islam were said to have been harassed for over twenty years. The sources disagree on which Ethiopian Emperor conducted this campaign. According to the medieval historian al-Makrizi , Emperor Dawit I in 1403 pursued the Sultan of Adal , Sa'ad ad-Din II , to Zeila, where he killed

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3696-621: The Sultan and sacked the city of Zeila . However, another contemporary source dates the death of Sa'ad ad-Din II to 1410, and credits Emperor Yeshaq with the slaying. According to Harari tradition the Argobba fled Ifat and settled around Harar in the Aw Abdal lowlands during their conflict with Abyssinia in the fifteenth century, a gate was thus named after them called the gate of Argobba . Adal Sultanate with its capital of Harar emerged in

3784-483: The Sultan of Ifat, Haqq ad-Din I responded, initiating a definite war of aggression. He invaded the Christian Abyssinian territory in the Amhara kingdom, burnt churches and forced apostasy among Christians. He also seized and imprisoned the envoy sent by the Emperor on his way back from Cairo. Haqq ad-Din tried to convert the envoy, killing him when this failed. In response, the irate Emperor raided

3872-673: The Ugandan government in early 2017 revealed that the actual costs of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway were around US $ 5.2m per km, resulting in total costs of around US $ 4.5b. This is approximately 30% more than originally planned. The two prime contractors, CREC and CCECC, formed a consortium to operate the entire railway for the first 3–5 years, while local personnel are trained. Despite being inaugurated in October 2016 and January 2017, Djiboutian authorities still considered

3960-563: The activity at the Port of Djibouti . The total railway capacity is 24.9 million tonnes of freight annually, with 6 million tonnes annually expected in 2023. These plans are accompanied by construction works at the Port of Doraleh to expand the annual cargo handling capacity from 6 to 14 million tonnes, with the aim of reaching 10 million tonnes of cargo by 2022. In 2019 the railway transported 84 073 passengers and generated US$ 1.2 million in revenue from that service, less than in 2018. In 2019

4048-442: The border post of Ali Sabieh, it has the appearance of a fortress. Attached to the circle of "Gobad-Dikkil" from its inception in 1931, Ali Sabieh became the chief town of a circle autonomously 1939. It was briefly attached to the circle of Djibouti between 1946 and 1949. It is managed by the commander of the circle Dikhil between 1952 and 1958, before finally receive its own administration.   The region borders Arta Region to

4136-405: The chronicle of Shewa sultanate mentions that in 1128 the Amhara fled from the land of Werjih. The Werjih were a pastoral people, and in the fourteenth century they occupied the Awash Valley east of Shewan Plateau. By the mid-fourteenth century, Islam expanded in the region and the inhabitants north of Awash river were the Muslim people of Zaber and Midra Zega (located south of modern Merhabete );

4224-680: The city of Ali Sabieh. 11°08′N 42°43′E  /  11.133°N 42.717°E  / 11.133; 42.717 Ifat Sultanate The Sultanate of Ifat , known as Wafāt or Awfāt in Arabic texts, or the Kingdom of Zeila was a medieval Sunni Muslim state in the eastern regions of the Horn of Africa between the late 13th century and early 15th century. It was formed in present-day Ethiopia around eastern Shewa in Ifat . Led by

4312-433: The commercial centres of Ethiopia (e.g. Addis Ababa) and the sea ports in Djibouti had been broken. At that time, Ethiopia initiated an ambitious Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) to develop the country's economy through infrastructure investment. A new electrified standard gauge railway was expected to reduce cargo transit times from three days by road to twelve hours by train, and cargo transport costs to one-third of

4400-592: The control of Ifat. In 1320 a conflict between the Christian monarch and Muslim Ifat leaders began. The conflict was precipitated by Al-Nasir Muhammad of Egypt . The Mamluk ruler Al-Nasir Muhammad was persecuting Christian Copts and destroying Coptic churches. The Ethiopian Emperor Amda Seyon I sent an envoy with a warning to the Mamluk ruler that if he did not stop the persecution of Christians in Egypt, he would retaliate against Muslims under his rule and would starve

4488-714: The cost of road transport. In 2011, the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) awarded contracts for railway construction from Addis Ababa to the Djibouti border to two Chinese state-owned companies , the China Railway Group (CREC) and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). The 320 kilometres (200 mi) stretch from Sebeta to Mieso was awarded to CREC, and the 339 kilometres (211 mi) section from Mieso to

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4576-401: The first inland Muslim state and by the time it was incorporated into Ifat much of the inhabitants of Shewa land were Muslims. According to the chronicle of Shewa Sultanate converting the inhabitants in the area begun in 1108, and the first to convert were the Gbbah people whom Trimingham suggested them being the ancestors of Argobbas. A few years later after the conversion of the Gbbah people,

4664-404: The foothills to probably more than 270 millimetres. The main wadis that cross are the wadis Dey Dey, Holl-Holl, Beye-Adey, Danan and Guestir. The Region of Ali Sabieh has 52 mountain summits with 3,000 feet (914 m) of prominence.   Activities oriented towards animal production (goat and dromedary farming) and agriculture in irrigated perimeters characterize the economy of the region. There

4752-661: The founders of the Ifat Sultanate. According to the Egyptian historian Al-Maqrizi, the ruling class of the Ifat Sultanate were Arabs from the Hejaz , while the population mostly consisted of Muslims. Ifat first emerged when Umar ibn Dunya-huz, later to be known as Sultan Umar Walasma , carved out his own kingdom and conquered the Sultanate of Shewa located in northern Hararghe . In 1288 Sultan Wali Asma successfully imposed his rule on Hubat , Zeila and other Muslim states in

4840-476: The fourteenth century Haqq ad-Din II transferred Ifat's capital to the Harar plateau thus he is regarded by some to be the true founder of the Adal Sultanate . The new Sultan moved away from previous capital of Ifat, to the city of Zeila . From there, he ceaselessly fought with the Emperor, in over twenty battles through 1370, according to Maqrizi's chronicle written in 1435. The Ifat Sultan Haqq ad-Din II died in

4928-552: The fourteenth century have been located. The local Argobba people credited Arabs for building these towns. The dwellings resemble Argobba or Harari historical building designs. Islam was introduced to the Horn region early on from the Arabian Peninsula , shortly after the hijra . Zeila's two- mihrab mosque Masjid al-Qiblatayn dates to about the 7th century, and is one of the oldest mosques in Africa. In

5016-409: The inhabitants of all the land of Shewa, much of it inhabited by Muslims at that time, and other districts of Ifat Sultanate. The historical records of that time, depending on which side wrote the history, indicate a series of defeat, destruction and burning of towns of the opposite side. According to the Christian chronicles, the son of the Sultan Haqq ad-Din Dadader Haqq ad-Din who was the leader of

5104-489: The late 9th century, Al-Yaqubi wrote that Muslims were living along the northern Somali seaboard. This claim, however, has been called suprious and more complicated by contemporary Somali historians, who claim Muslim emmigration to Zeila unlikely, as Dr. Baadiyow reminds us that “Zayla, the center of the closest Somali urban territory [to Axum ], is estimated to be more than 1000 km by land and even further by sea.” The Walashma dynasty are regarded by scholars as

5192-404: The left in the double-track sections. This is consistent with Chinese railway practice. The single-track sections are equipped with passing loops, each of which is triple-track so that two trains can wait for the main line to clear. Each station also serves as a passing loop. The railway line is almost fully electrified. Power is transmitted at 230 kV and 130 kV to eight substations. Traction power

5280-446: The most important entry point for Islam into Ethiopian lands. Ifat rulers controlled Zeila, and it was an important commercial and religious base for them. It was the northernmost of several Muslim states in the Horn of Africa, acting as a buffer between Christian kingdom and the Muslim states along the coastal regions. Five Ifat cities in eastern Shewa ; Asbäri, Nora, Mäsal, Rassa Guba, and Beri-Ifat now mostly in ruins dating back to

5368-497: The new Furi-Labu railway station in Addis Ababa, by the presidents of Ethiopia and Djibouti. On 10 January 2017, the 100 km section of Djibouti side was inaugurated in a ceremony held in the new Nagad railway station of Djibouti City by Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopia's prime minister Hailemariam Dessalegn , and the director general of the International Union of Railways (UIC), Jean-Pierre Loubinoux . A survey of East African railway projects by

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5456-495: The new railway will be undertaken jointly by the China Railway Group Limited (CREC) and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). During this time, the companies will train local employees so that they can take over railway operations at the conclusion of the initial operation period. The Ethiopian Railway Corporation has also established the African Railway Academy in Bishoftu to graduate rail engineers. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway runs roughly parallel to

5544-474: The north, and Dikhil to the west. Ali Sabieh Region also shares a border with the Somali Region of Ethiopia to the south, and the Awdal of Somalia to the east. Ali Sabieh's highest point is Arrei , which has an elevation of 4,268 ft (1,301 m). Other mountain ranges in the Region include the Boura Mountains , the Arrei Mountains , the Rahle Godle , and the Dagouein Mountain . Ali Sabieh Region has an extraordinarily diverse geography. The western half of

5632-413: The north, the Dikhil Region to the west, and the nation of Somalia -( Somaliland ) to the east, and the nation of Ethiopia to the south. Largely arid, the Ali Sabieh Region is noted for its bare plains of Grand Bara and its large Mountains. The Ali Sabieh region has old forts all round the region build by the French Army in the 20th century. The inhabitants of the Ali Sabieh region belong mainly to

5720-430: The old metre-gauge Ethio–Djibouti Railway for most of its length. However, the standard-gauge railway is built on a new, straighter right-of-way that allows for much higher speeds. New stations have been built outside city centres, and most of the old railway stations have been decommissioned. There are 68 viaducts and bridges, comprising 3% of the railway's total length. There are no tunnels. The total length of

5808-415: The people of Issa Somali clan. In 1963 during the first Somali-Ethiopian war a terrible massacre was perpetrated by the Ethiopian soldiers in Aysha , mainly populated by Issa Somali . Among the latter, those who succeeded in fleeing arrived at Dikhil and Ali-Sabieh. At Ali-Sabieh, the colonial administration installed them in a new area. In 1977: during the Ogaden War between Somalia and Ethiopia ,

5896-438: The peoples of Egypt by diverting the course of the Nile. According to Pankhurst, of the two threats, the diversion of Nile was an idle threat and the Egyptian sultan dismissed it because he likely realized this to be so. The fear that the Ethiopians might tamper with the Nile, states Pankhurst, was nevertheless to remain with Egyptians for many centuries. As a result of the threats and the dispute between Amda Seyon and Al Nasr,

5984-418: The railway deteriorated in the 1980s due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance, Addis Ababa lost railroad access to the sea by 2004. Rail service ran between Dire Dawa and Djibouti City until 2010 and then again from 2013 to 2014. Since 2014, operation has only been possible on 213 km of rehabilitated tracks in Ethiopia between Dire Dawa and the border with Djibouti at Guelile . The connection between

6072-445: The railway generated US$ 40 million in both passenger and cargo revenue, far below the operating cost of US$ 70 million. During the first half of 2020, the railway transported 0.7 million tonnes of freight. The railway line is jointly owned by both the Djiboutian and Ethiopian governments. In Ethiopia, the state-owned Ethiopian Railway Corporation represents the owner of the railway. The Ethio-Djibouti Standard Gauge Rail Transport S.C.,

6160-405: The railway line is 759 km (472 mi), of which 754 km (469 mi) run between the two terminal stations at Sebeta and the Port of Doraleh. The remaining five kilometers are for shunting operations. A total of 666 km (414 mi) of the railway line is in Ethiopia, while a total of 93 km (58 mi) is in Djibouti. The 115 km (71 mi) section from Sebeta to Adama

6248-420: The railway to be under construction and expected it to become operational not before the end of 2017. An official trial service began on the railway after inauguration in October 2016. On 9 May 2017, the first thorough stress test was conducted, with more than 30 trains on the line at the same time. Passenger trains ran between Furi-Labu and Dire Dawa , while freight services ran between the Port of Doraleh and

6336-601: The rebellious governor imprisoned. Amda Seyon then appointed the governor's brother, Jamal ad-Din I , as his successor in Ifat. Just as the Ifat rebellion had been quelled, however, the neighboring states of Adal and Mora , just north of Ifat rose against the Emperor. Amda Seyon soon also put down this rebellion. The Muslim rulers of Ifat continued their campaign against the Christian Emperor. His son, Emperor Sayfa Arad appointed Ahmad, also known as Harb Arad ibn Ali as

6424-417: The region is part of the coastal plain and has an exceedingly hot, humid and arid climate. The eastern half, however, is very mountainous, with the major peak being 1,301 m (4,268 ft) Arrei Mountain, near Guelile . These mountains trap the moisture created by an upper-level wind reversal between May and October, so that in the eastern half of the region annual rainfall increases from 150 millimetres in

6512-468: The region. Taddesse Tamrat explains Sultan Walashma's military acts as an effort to consolidate the Muslim territories in the Horn of Africa in much the same way as Emperor Yekuno Amlak was attempting to consolidate the Christian territories in the highlands during the same period. According to the Arab historian Maqrizi, known for his pro-Islamic version of history written around 1435, Sultan Umar Walasma

6600-408: The seat of Emperor Amde Tsion, thereby, making it the capital of the empire. The emperor then appointed the descendants of Walasmas as the king of all the Muslim lands. Ifat or Yifat, once the easternmost district of Shewa Sultanate, is located in a strategic position between the central highlands and the sea, and includes diverse population. Its predecessor state Shewa Sultanate is believed to be

6688-609: The seat of Emperor Amde Tsion, thereby, making it the capital of the empire. The emperor then appointed the descendants of Walasmas as the king of all the Muslim lands. The 19th-century Ethiopian historian Asma Giyorgis suggests that the Walashma themselves spoke Arabic. Addis Ababa%E2%80%93Djibouti Railway The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway ( Amharic : አዲስ አበባ–ጅቡቲ የባቡር መስመር ; French : Chemin de fer Addis Abeba–Djibouti , Oromo : Daandii baaburaa Finfinneefi Jibutii , Somali : Jidka Tareenka ee Addis Ababa-Jabuuti )

6776-502: The southeastern areas as the leading Muslim principality in latter part of the 15th century. Several small territories continued to be ruled by different Walasma groups up to the eighteenth century. By eighteenth century several Christian dynasties named Yifat and Menz , which were the province names of Ifat sultanate, were established. Presently, its name is preserved in the Ethiopian district of Yifat , situated in North Shewa of

6864-680: The station buildings (except that of Awash station) is eclectic , featuring traditional Ethiopian elements with some Chinese interpretation. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway was based on the Chinese National Railway Class 2 Standard. However, some changes were made at the request of the Ethiopian Railway Corporation. Ethiopia is not a member of the Northern Corridor Integration Project, which has selected

6952-432: The sultan of Ifat, and put Ali's father and relatives in prison. Sayfa Arad was close to Ahmad and supported his rule, however, Ahmad was killed in an Ifat uprising. Ahmad's son Haqq ad-Din II then came to power in Ifat. Internal ruling family struggle in Ifat expelled grandfather Ali's son named Mola Asfah who gathered forces and attacked Ahmad's son. A series of battles affirmed Sultan Haqq ad-Din II position of power. In

7040-464: The thirteenth century, the Hararis , Argobbas , the extinct Doba and Harla . Arabic was Lingua franca but the inhabitants of Ifat spoke Cushitic and Ethio-Semitic languages. Ifat or Yifat, once the easternmost district of Shewa Sultanate, is located in a strategic position between the central highlands and the sea, and includes diverse population. Its predecessor state Shewa Sultanate

7128-487: The threat, endowing them with gifts of gold, silver, and lavish clothing – so much so that the chronicler explains that "in his reign gold and silver abounded like stones and fine clothes were as common as the leaves of the trees or the grass in the fields." Despite the extravagance he bestowed on his men, many chose not to fight due to Ifat's inhospitable mountainous and arid terrain and the complete absence of roads. Nevertheless, they advanced on 24 Yakatit , and an attachment

7216-481: The towns and cities they are intended to serve. For example, the Dire Dawa train station is located 10 km away from Dire Dawa. Due to a lack of inter-country coordination, the Port of Doraleh in Djibouti, despite being the main cargo terminus for the railway, was not linked to the railway. No spur lines were built to the three different terminals in question, and the infrastructure for handling bulk goods and fuels

7304-881: Was able to find the rebellious governor and put him to flight. Once the remainder of Amda Seyon's army arrived, they destroyed the capital of Ifat and killed many soldiers. But Sabr ad-Din once again escaped. The Ethiopian forces then grouped together for a final attack, destroying one of his camps, killing many and taking the rest as slaves as well as looting it of its gold, silver, and its "fine clothes and jewels without number." Sabr ad-Din subsequently sued for peace, appealing to Queen Jan Mengesha, who refused his peace offer and expressed Amda Seyon's determination not to return to his capital until he had searched Sabr ad-Din out. Upon hearing this, Sabr ad-Din realized that his rebellion futile and surrendered himself to Amda Seyon's camp. Amda Seyon's courtiers demanded that Sabr ad-Din be executed, but he instead granted him relative clemency and had

7392-534: Was largely complete in 2016, but final testing continued through 2017. The line was formally opened for commercial operations on 1 January 2018. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway supersedes the Ethio-Djibouti Railway , a metre-gauge railway that was originally built by the French from 1894 to 1917, which for some time in the 20th century was the only way to reach Ethiopia from the outside world. As

7480-402: Was official policy to prioritize low initial construction costs, as the integration work was considered to be "easy and quick". Another official said that railway integration was too complex to consider at the planning stage, as many local authorities would have to coordinate their efforts. As one of the many consequences, most railway stations are far outside the city centers and even outside

7568-574: Was the first ruler of Ifat. Umar died around 1275, stated Maqrizi, and was succeeded by "four or five sons" with each ruling a short period. Finally, Sabr ad-Din I came to power and he ruled Ifat till the turn of the century. He was succeeded by Sultan Ali, according to Maqrizi, who was the first ruler to engage with a warfare against the Abyssinia . Sultan Ali, however soon submitted back to Ethiopian rule, because according to Maqrizi he lacked popular support. This allowed Emperor Yagbe'u Seyon to mount

7656-561: Was therefore seen as a jihad rather than an attempt at independence, and it was consequently immediately joined by the nearby Muslim province of Dewaro (the first known mention of the province), under the governor Haydera, and the western province of Hadiya under the vassal local ruler Ameno. Sabr ad-Din divided his troops into three parts, sending a division north-westwards to attack Amhara , one northwards to attack Angot, and another, under his personal command, westward to take Shewa . Amda Seyon subsequently mobilized his soldiers to meet

7744-424: Was totally missing. After the inauguration of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway at the end of 2016, the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) in Ethiopia found itself with debt equal to one-third of Ethiopia's annual state budget. As a result, there was no additional funding available to complete the surrounding infrastructure necessary to place the railway into commercial operation. State-owned companies other than

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