Arba Minch - History

History

Arba Minch was founded in the early 1960s by then Fitawrari Aemeroselasie Abebe and the city succeeded Chencha as the provincial capital of Gamu-Gofa, The oral tradition has it that Fitawrari Aemiro Selassie Abebe had to go through lots of fight with prominent figures of Chencha( Aba Gaga )to move the capital from Chencha to Arbaminch. One of the reasons for Aemiroselassie Abebe to move the provinial centre from Chencha to Arbaminch is citPior to this it was here, in around the streams, travllers form Gidole to Chencha took a break after a long crossing of the arid riftvalleye heat.

The settlement in the city had three major features following the three meajor sections of the city: Shecha sikella and Limat. Sikella is found in between limat and shecha. The three settlements are located almost five kilometers apart. Limat most probably the first settlement that took place by the then arbaminc residents was founded some years before Emergence of Arbaminch as a Capital of the province. Limat which ltrarily mean development was the product of the then community development initiative ubdertaken by Ministry of Community Development (check). This has developed hundreds of hectars of land cultivating mainly cotton and citrus fruit. Limat had its own clinic, elementary school community development office and farm machinary and automotive shops. The residents of the Limat hence were workers in these iinstitutions and cooperative farmers who were provided with a certain portion of the developed farm.

There was about five kilometers disatance from the center of Sikella to the center of Shecha. Shceha is a place where all administrative offices are located: Here are the offices and names of the first heads of the institution: Provinivial Administrative office (governor Ft Aemero Selassie Abebe, Ministry Of Education: Ato Bwekele Tsegaye, Head of provincial police; Colonel qalbesa Beka, (check) All the topevele managers of these institutions and their families lived in ShechaThe only government institutions found in sikella were a provincial detention centre(weyini bet) a police station Arbaminch High School, which was moved from Chencaha, and Ethiopian Airlins's one man's regional office. Sikelle is the business center of the city. The Famous kulfo river which boarders limat and sikella was the only source of drinking water for residents of Sikella majour source of water for all purpose sikella is inhabited by the daily lab holding this honor until the reorganisation of provinces in 1995. It retains a degree of government importance as the administrative center for its Zone.

The Norwegian Lutheran Mission opened a station at Arba Minch in 1970, which included a trade school; the school's operation was later taken over by the Mekane Yesus Church. At the beginning of the Ethiopian Revolution public demonstrations occurred in the town, and four people were killed in clashes with the police on 28 March 1974. Following the revolution privately held plantations were made into state farms.

The 193 million birr Arba Minch Textile Mill was opened on 6 May 1992 in the presence of Ethiopian Prime Minister Tamirat Layne. The mill would produce polyester mixed with cotton grey fabrics.