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Afar (Ethiopia)

Afar National Regional State

Last modified: 2022-10-22 by bruce berry
Keywords: afar | afars | ethiopia | eritrea | djibuti | pentagram | rifle | adal | saho | arduf |
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image by Miles Li, 07 Nov 2020

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Background

The Afar Regional National State is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia and is the homeland of the Afar people. It is divided into 5 administrative zones comprising 29 woreda and one special administrative area.  Its current capital is Asayita and a new capital named Semera is currently under construction. Afar is in the north east of Ethiopia and borders Eritrea in the north, Djibouti in the north east, Somali State in the east, Oromiya State in the south, Amhara State and Tigray State in the west.
Bruce Berry, 12 Dec 2010

Flag of Afar

Afar is one of nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia and is the homeland of the Afar people.  The flag has a red triangle at the hoist with three horizontal stripes of blue, white and green in the fly.  The regional emblem is placed in the centre of the white stripe.  This design was adopted in 2012 and is a variant of the previous flag which was used (see below).  This can be seen on the official web page of Afar regional government.
Jaume Olle, 01 June 2012

Former Flags of Afar

  Image by Jaume Ollé, 22 Oct 2000 and resized by António MARTINS-Tuválkin, 23 Mar 2018

This flag (above) was used by the regional government until 2012 and was a vertical triband of green, white and blue with the regional emblem in the centre.
Jaume Ollé, 22 Oct 2000

Image by Jaume Ollé, 14 Jan 1997

A light blue over green flag was reported previously used by the Afar people.  Similar colours are used by Djibouti and Eritrea.
Jaume Ollé, 29 July 1999

Adal

Image by Dirk Schönberger, 01 March 2001

According to "Nations Without States" [xxx00], Adal is the name of an aspirant entity composed of the Afar and Saho people in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea. The flag shown in the book for Adal is that of the Afar Liberation Front, which is different than the Afar flags shown on FOTW. This flag is a horizontal tricolor of pale blue, white and green, bearing a five pointed red star.
Ned Smith, 15 February 2001

image by Dirk Schönberger, 01 March 2001

The book also mentions a traditional Afar-Saho flag - a green or black field with the Shahada in white and a small white crescent moon and five pointed star in the upper hoist.
Ned Smith, 15 February 2001

Afar-Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) - UGUUGUMO

Image by Gvido Petersons,  August 2003 as shown at http://www.arhotaba.com/arduf.htm