Metekel Zone is the northern zone of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and its centre is Gilgel Beles. The zone counted 276,367 people at the 2007 census and about 429,600 under the 2022 CSA projection, across six woredas.
Metekel lies north of the Abay (Blue Nile) and runs west to the Sudanese border. Its Guba woreda holds the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the largest hydroelectric scheme in Africa.
| Zone centre | Gilgel Beles |
| Region | Benishangul-Gumuz |
| Woredas | 6 |
| Population (2007 census) | 276,367 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 429,625 |
| Highest point | Mount Belaya, 3,131 m |
Woredas (Districts)
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Bulen | 45,523 | 71,280 |
| Dangur | 48,537 | 78,133 |
| Dibate | 66,654 | 101,051 |
| Guba | 14,907 | 23,648 |
| Mandura | 40,746 | 66,361 |
| Wenbera | 60,000 | 89,152 |
| Total | 276,367 | 429,625 |
Pawe, which sits inside the same block of country on Metekel’s eastern side, is not part of the zone. It is administered separately as Pawe special woreda.
Major Towns
| Town | Woreda | Population (2022 proj.) |
|---|---|---|
| Manbuk | Dangur | 24,100 |
| Dibate | Dibate | 21,300 |
Gilgel Beles is the seat of the zone and the main administrative town, though no separate population is published for it. Manbuk and Dibate are the two settlements in the zone that pass 20,000 people in the national town projections. Bulen, Wenbera and Guba are woreda centres and weekly market towns. Urban residents made up 13.61 percent of the 2007 population, or 37,615 people.
Geography
Metekel is lowland country broken by isolated massifs. The highest point is Mount Belaya at 3,131 metres, in the Dangur range. The Abay (Blue Nile) marks the southern boundary and the Dinder River part of the boundary with Amhara; the Beles River runs through the middle of the zone and gives Gilgel Beles its name.
The zone is bordered on the south and south-west by Kamashi Zone, on the west by Sudan, and on the north and east by the Amhara Region, mainly the Agew Awi and West Gojjam zones. Asosa Zone lies further south-west, on the far side of the Abay.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam stands on the Blue Nile in Guba woreda, about 14 km from the Sudanese border. Construction began on 2 April 2011. The main dam is 145 metres high and 1,780 metres long, backed by a saddle dam 4.9 km long, and the reservoir holds 74 billion cubic metres of water over a surface of 1,874 square kilometres.
Installed capacity is 5,150 MW from 13 turbines. The fifth and final stage of reservoir filling was completed in October 2024, and the dam was inaugurated on 9 September 2025. Building it brought an asphalt road, a construction camp and a power line into what had been one of the least accessible woredas in Ethiopia.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 276,367 residents, 139,119 men and 137,248 women. The 2022 projection is about 429,600, the second largest of the region’s zones after Asosa.
Metekel is the most mixed zone in the region. The largest groups in 2007 were the Gumuz (36.8 percent), Shinasha (21.6 percent), Amhara (17.39 percent), Awi (11.33 percent) and Oromo (11.09 percent). Gumuz was the first language of 36.31 percent and Amharic of 34.21 percent, with Oromo, Shinasha and Awngi also widely spoken. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians formed 54.49 percent of the population, Muslims 20.31 percent, followers of traditional religions 17.65 percent and Protestants 6.36 percent.
Economy & Local Life
Sorghum, maize, sesame and finger millet are the main crops, and sesame is the leading earner. The Beles valley carries large commercial farms growing sesame and cotton, worked partly by seasonal labour from the highlands. Gumuz households in the west combine shifting cultivation with honey collection, fishing and hunting.
Gold occurs across the zone, and MIDROC Gold was reported exploring deposits here in 2009. Bamboo woodland supplies building material and is cut for sale. Weekly markets at Gilgel Beles, Manbuk, Dibate and Bulen handle grain, livestock, honey and sesame.
Administrative Situation
Metekel has been affected by armed conflict since 2020, with heavy civilian displacement. Around 110,773 displaced people had returned to Benishangul-Gumuz by March 2025, but attacks resumed from May 2025 across the woredas of Bulen, Wenbera, Guba, Dibate, Dangur and Mandura. In August 2025 more than 4,000 people were displaced into Mandura woreda from neighbouring Jawi. Commercial farming in the zone was disrupted through 2025. Conditions change quickly; check current advice before travelling.
Getting There
The usual approach is from the Amhara side. From Addis Ababa, the road runs north to Bahir Dar, then west through Injibara and Chagni, and on south-west into the zone through Pawe to Gilgel Beles. That route is asphalt for most of its length.
From Gilgel Beles, roads run west to Manbuk and Dangur, south to Bulen and Wenbera, and north-west to Guba and the Renaissance Dam site on the road built for the dam project. There is no scheduled passenger airport in the zone; the nearest are at Bahir Dar and Asosa.
FAQ
Where is Metekel Zone?
In north-western Ethiopia, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, north of the Abay (Blue Nile) and reaching west to the Sudanese border.
What is the capital of Metekel Zone?
Gilgel Beles, on the Beles River. Manbuk and Dibate are the zone’s two largest towns.
How many woredas are in Metekel Zone?
Six: Bulen, Dangur, Dibate, Guba, Mandura and Wenbera. Pawe special woreda borders the zone but is administered separately.
Is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Metekel Zone?
Yes. It stands on the Blue Nile in Guba woreda, about 14 km from the Sudanese border, and has an installed capacity of 5,150 MW. It was inaugurated on 9 September 2025.
What is the population of Metekel Zone?
276,367 at the 2007 census, projected to about 429,600 for 2022.
What language is spoken in Metekel Zone?
Gumuz and Amharic are the two main first languages, at about 36 and 34 percent. Oromo, Shinasha and Awngi are also spoken.