Norris-Greys in Africa 2023

  As we return from Northern Ethiopia we discover that the whole area is now closed for travel. Tragically,  two Catholic aid workers have been killed in Kobo - a stone's throw from Lalibela - in a gun battle between Amhara and Federal troops. Disappointingly, ethnic tensions are again rising as the federal government attempts to pass a law disbanding regional militia.  A quick glance at the two British Foreign and Commonwealth travel advisory maps below show just how quickly the security situation changes here. 11th April 12th April Undeterred and determined to continue with our adventure, we head South to a small corner of Ethiopia near the South Sudan and Kenyan borders. The region is known for its remote tribes, each living almost untouched by modernity.  Before committing to this long and arduous road journey we had contemplated the ethics of visiting these nomadic peoples: Are we about to enter human zoos? What will be the impact of our visit on the tribes' way...

 The lineage of Ethiopia's emperors is said to date back to biblical times, descending from the house of Solomon. The first ruler, Menelik I is claimed to be the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. This line of emperors lasted until 1935 when Ethiopia was invaded by Italy. In 1941 the British evicted the Italians and restored Haile Selassie to the throne where he remained until being overthrown in a military coup in 1974. Our trip north explores some of the centres of the various dynasties, the oldest of which is Aksum, sadly still too dangerous to explore. Instead, after a short and easy flight, we disembark in Gondar, the Ethiopian capital back in the 17th century, its buildings displaying a mix of Islamic and Portuguese influence. We are joined on the trip by Trudy's niece Colly. Unlike most African countries, Christianity did not arrive courtesy of European missionaries, it arrived directly from the Holy Land back in the 4th century. Gondar Castle After visiting the...

It feels good to be back in Africa after a break of three months. The situation in the country has stabilised since the peace treaty between the federal government and the TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front) - the people of the northern region of Ethiopia, Tigray, felt dispossessed of political power triggering a brutal civil war where, according to some reports, around one million people lost their lives and many more are now on the point of starvation. The situation on the ground in the Horn of Africa is further compounded by recent severe droughts and a lack of grain imports due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.   Ethiopia, like many African countries, is made up of regions of ethnic groups. The highlands to the north are predominantly inhabited by the Habesha peoples, Semitic language-speaking and generally Oriental Orthodox Christian. This includes the regions of Amhara and Tigray, until recently the main protagonists in the civil war. The predominant lowland group is Oromia,...