Kelafo is a town in eastern Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

. Located in the Gode Zone

Gode Zone

Gode is one of nine Zones of the Somali Region, Ogaden, of Ethiopia. This zone is named for its largest city, Gode. Gode is bordered on the south by Afder, on the west by the Oromia Region, on the north by Fiq and Degehabur, on the northeast by Korahe and Werder, and on the east by the Provisional...

 of the Somali Region

Somali Region

Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...

, this town has a longitude and latitude of 05°37′N 44°08′E and an elevation of 233 meters above sea level.

The UN-OCHA

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , is a United Nations body formed in December 1991 by General Assembly Resolution 46/182...

-Ethiopia website provides details of the health clinic in Kelafo, which was built in 1991 with funds and equipment provided by the Australian government. Kelafo is served by an airport (ICAO code HAKL), and a bridge across the Shebelle River

Shebelle River

The Shebelle River begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast. Below Mogadishu, the river becomes seasonal...

 which was scoured in the May 1995 floods.

History

Kelafo had its start in 1923, under the leadership of Fitawrari Semmo. The town had been practically subjected to a siege by rebellious Somali

Somali people

Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...

, supported by Italian border soldiers. However, Sultan Orfa of Kelafo arranged the supplies so that the inhabitants did not die from hunger; in memory of this, the settlers tried to rename Kelafo "Wechefo Ketema". Ten years later, Dr Agge visited the town in September, and found it to be the hottest place he had experienced in the Ogaden

Ogaden

Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...

. Kelafo was situated on a little hill on the southern side of the Shebelle, with a new motorable road and a small ferry. At the foot of the hill there was a settlement, with a palisade, a moat and two gates towards the river.

During the Italian invasion, Sultan Olol Diinle

Olol Diinle

Sultan Olol Diinle was the last sultan who ruled at Kelafo as a sultan of the Ajuran Somali clan lineage to rule an independent kingdom.-Historical Context:...

 ordered the town burned.

During October 1961, the Kelafo was flooded with three meters of water. The Ethiopian Red Cross

Ethiopian Red Cross Society

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society was founded and recognized by the ICRC in 1935. In 2002, it had 725,827 paying adult members and about 90,000 youth volunteers....

 was amongst the organizations providing aid. The town experienced another flood on 7 May 1967, when a dam on the Shebelle collapsed, covering Kelafo with about 1.5 meters of water, which forced the 3,700 residents to evacuate.

After an arrest of Nassir Allah members in 1963, a few avoided capture and made their way to Kelafo where they hoped to find arms. Armed with hand guns, two of this group attacked the policemen guarding the bridge over the Shebelle, killing three and taking two rifles. This act led to a flight of activists and chiefs before the expected reprisals.

Early in the Ogaden War

Ogaden War

The Ogaden War was a conventional conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In a notable illustration of the nature of Cold War alliances, the Soviet Union switched from supplying aid to Somalia to supporting Ethiopia, which had previously been...

, Kelafo was captured by Somali

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

 units; it was recaptured 13 March 1978 by the Ethiopian 69th Brigade.

In 1992, the clan of the Ogaden

Ogaden people

The Ogaden is a Somali clan, and one of the largest Darod subclans.-Overview:Members of the Ogaden clan primarily live in the central Ogaden plateau of Ethiopia , the North Eastern Province of Kenya, and the Jubaland region of Southern Somalia...

 drove the local Hawiye

Hawiye

The Hawiye is a Somali clan. Members of the clan primarily live in central and southern Somalia, in the Ogaden and the North Eastern Province , and in smaller numbers in other countries. Like many Somalis, Hawiye members trace their ancestry to Irir Samaale...

 and associated Rer Bare or Rer shabelle farming groups from Kelafo and the surrounding agricultural area. The refugees found sanctuary and assistance from the Hawiye in Beledweyn. Here the expelled Somali clans regrouped and launched a coordinated attack which brought them back to their settlements in the woreda. After the bloodshed, all groups involved negotiated a peace and agreed to share access to external resources provided to the Hawiye and Reer Bare -- which is reportedly the cause of the conflict.

Demographics

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency

Central Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)

The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...

 in 2005, this town has an estimated total population of 14,242, of whom 7,522 are men and 6,720 are women. The 1997 census reported this town had a total population of 9,551 of whom 4,970 were men and 4,581 women. The largest two ethnic groups reported in this town were the Somali

Somali people

Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...

 (96.85%), and the Amhara

Amhara people

Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...

 (1%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.15% of the population. It is the largest town in Kelafo

Kelafo (woreda)

Kelafo is one of the 47 woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gode Zone, Kelafo is bordered on the south by the Shebelle River which separates it from the Afder Zone, on the west by Danan, on the north by the Korahe Zone, and on the east by Mustahil. The major town in Kelafo is...

 woreda

Woreda

Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...

.