Protests in Gondar, Ethiopia: Still safe for backpacking?

Gondar, Ethiopia protests have many wondering, ‘Is it safe to travel?”

[Admin Note: This post was written in 2016, and thankfully Gondar, Ethiopia is now much safer! Protests have settled down, and while you should still follow current travel advice for Ethiopia including 1 area on Sudanese border still at risk, I personally wouldn’t feel scared going.).

I love Ethiopia, travel in Ethiopia, & living in Ethiopia.

But while avoiding real work, I came across an article posted on Yahoo stating ten killed during protests in Gondar, Ethiopia.

In 2016, it was the first I heard of violence in Gondar, Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the second of recent ethnic clashes in the country occurred soon after. (More advice on, “Is Ethiopia safe to travel right now?”) All of 2017 was spent facing protests throughout the country. Thankfully, in April 2018, we got a new Prime Minister that has brought about a dramatic peaceful transition.

What Gondar Looks like 99.99% of the time (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

My Opinions for Backpacking Ethiopia (and other African countries)

1. I still believe Ethiopia is a very safe country to travel.

No country is 100% safe and even the “safe countries” don’t guarantee a risk-free travel experience anymore. The US Embassy had issued a travel warning for Gondar, Ethiopia, but that has been lifted!

2. Don’t avoid an entire country because of violence in one area. African countries contain thousands of different cultures and tribes. One part might be clashing with another, the rest of nation will be unaffected. I’ve already shared detailed, specific safety advice and explained how to know where you’re traveling to is safe. But to keep it short, don’t write off Ethiopia or other African countries for one clash in one area. Sometimes you should and sometimes you shouldn’t, and in this case there are still lots of reasons for backpacking Ethiopia.

3. Avoid Protests.

A news reporter from Europe was raped during the Egyptian protests. Yet my Canadian friend living in Cairo was perfectly safe. Why? Because despite hearing gun shots, seeing tear gas, etc. my friend was on the other side of the Nile far enough away from the demonstrations.

The other ethnic violence that occurred in Ethiopia this year happened to protesters. The many 2015 protests in America resulted in several deaths, injuries, and arrests.

A protestor throws back a gas canister at police in Maryland. Photo Credit: Eric Thayer

Dangers of Protests

And while violence, rape, and other awful acts are NEVER justified NO MATTER WHAT, they are much more likely to happen to someone at a protest than not at a protest in the same city at the same time. If you feel so strongly about the issue, and a peaceful protest is what you think will help, than do so.

But as a traveler, who probably doesn’t know about or care about the issue, avoid the protests! Don’t watch. Don’t participate. Stay far away, and most likely you have nothing to fear.

Should You Go to Gondar?

Now that the region has settled down, it is safe to resume travel to Ethiopia (again– stay current, but at this moment, the danger has subsided).

But is Gondar worth visiting?

Eh…. it depends. In my Ethiopian Travel Guide, I don’t recommend it as a top place. The significance of the castles in Ethiopia is really cool. It’s an incredible example of the country’s ancient and staggering trade routes. But if you’ve been to Europe, you’ll be very disappointed by the castles in Ethiopia. They’re quite small, and you can’t tour them the very well. Besides the castles, there isn’t much that would attract you to the town.

But if you’re on your way to Sudan (which I totally recommend my route through Africa that included going through Sudan on my way to Egypt)., then you’ll need to stop in Gondar. In that case, I would recommend spending a couple days in the town. It has a quaint feeling with horse carriages everywhere. There’s also the Dashen Brewery which is fun to spend the afternoon at.