Sitti Zone (Somali: Gobolka Sitti) is the northernmost zone of Ethiopia’s Somali Region, running from the Afar boundary to the Djibouti and Somaliland borders. Its administrative centre is Shinile, the zone spans 56,626 km², and it counted 457,086 people at the 2007 census. Sitti was known as Shinile Zone until the regional renaming of the 2010s.
| Somali name | Gobolka Sitti |
| Former name | Shinile Zone |
| Administrative centre | Shinile |
| Area | 56,626 km² |
| Woredas | 9 |
| Population (2007 census) | 457,086 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 670,189 |
Woredas (Districts)
Sitti has nine woredas. Six carried separate figures at the 2007 census; the other three were created from them afterwards.
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Shinile | 102,574 | 150,900 |
| Dambel (Denbel) | 82,286 | 120,798 |
| Erer | 77,628 | 113,929 |
| Mieso (Mulo) | 71,481 | 103,767 |
| Afdem | 65,031 | 95,640 |
| Ayesha (Ayisha) | 58,086 | 85,155 |
| Adigala | created after 2007 | — |
| Bike | created after 2007 | — |
| Gablalu | created after 2007 | — |
Major Towns
Towns held 64,263 residents, or 14.06 per cent of the population, at the 2007 census. Most sit on the Addis Ababa–Djibouti corridor, which is the zone’s spine.
| Town | Woreda | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Shinile | Shinile | 9°41′N 41°51′E |
| Adigala | Adigala | 10°25′N 42°14′E |
| Erer (Erer Gota) | Erer | 9°34′N 41°23′E |
| Bike | Bike | 9°32′N 41°12′E |
| Afdem | Afdem | 9°28′N 41°00′E |
| Aysha | Ayesha | North-east Sitti, near the Djibouti border |
| Dewele | Ayesha | Rail and road crossing into Djibouti |
| Mieso | Mieso | Western Sitti, on the Awash–Dire Dawa corridor |
Geography
Sitti occupies the north-western corner of the Somali Region, on the savanna north of the Ahmar Mountains. Altitudes fall from about 1,500 metres in the south-west to under 500 metres towards the Djibouti border, and the eastern lowlands are among the hottest inhabited places in Ethiopia.
The zone borders the Afar Region to the west, Dire Dawa and the Oromia Region to the south, Fafan Zone to the south-east, Somaliland to the east, and Djibouti to the north. There are no perennial rivers; the Erer and other seasonal streams run off the Ahmar range and sink into the plain, and households depend on boreholes, wells and ponds.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 457,086 people: 246,302 men and 210,784 women. Somali was the first language of 96.91 per cent, Amharic of 1.36 per cent and Oromo of 1.34 per cent. Muslims made up 98.35 per cent of the population. The zone is Issa country, and Issa communities extend across the borders into Djibouti and Somaliland.
Central Statistical Agency projections carry the six census-era woredas to 670,189 by 2022. Ethiopia has held no census since 2007, and there was no census in 2017 — figures dated to that year are projections, not counts.
Economy & Local Life
Sitti is pastoral and agro-pastoral. Camels, goats, sheep and cattle are the mainstay, and herds move between the Ahmar foothills in the wet season and the plains in the dry. Around Mieso and Afdem, in the higher south-west, households grow sorghum, maize and khat. Salt and gypsum are worked in the lowlands.
Transport is the other economy. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti corridor carries most of Ethiopia’s imports, and the towns along it live off haulage, fuel and roadside trade. The standard-gauge Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway crosses the zone with stations at Adigala and Dewele, where it leaves Ethiopia.
Getting There
The Addis Ababa–Djibouti highway runs the length of the zone. From Addis Ababa it is about 470 km to Mieso and roughly 600 km to Shinile, paved throughout. Dire Dawa, 40 km south of Shinile, has the nearest airport with frequent flights and is the usual staging point. The railway serves Adigala and Dewele. Roads north to Aysha and Adigala are surfaced along the corridor and gravel beyond it.
FAQ
Where is Sitti Zone?
In the far north-west of Ethiopia’s Somali Region, between the Afar Region, Djibouti and Somaliland.
What is the capital of Sitti Zone?
Shinile.
What was Sitti Zone called before?
Shinile Zone, after its administrative centre. It was renamed Sitti in the 2010s.
How many woredas does Sitti have?
Nine: Adigala, Afdem, Ayesha, Bike, Dambel, Erer, Gablalu, Mieso and Shinile.
What is the population of Sitti Zone?
457,086 at the 2007 census, projected to 670,189 by 2022. Ethiopia has held no census since 2007; there was no 2017 census.
Does the Djibouti railway pass through Sitti?
Yes. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti standard-gauge line crosses the zone, with stations at Adigala and the border town of Dewele.