Djibo
Djibo | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Senegalia laeta specimen in Djibo | |
Djibo Location within Burkina Faso, West Africa | |
| Coordinates: 14°06′04″N 01°37′50″W / 14.10111°N 1.63056°W | |
| Country | Burkina Faso |
| Region | Sahel |
| Province | Soum Province |
| Founded | 16th century |
| Elevation | 286 m (938 ft) |
| Population (2019 census)[1] | |
• Total | 61,462 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Djibo is a town in northern Burkina Faso and the capital city of Soum Province. It is situated 203 km (126 mi) north of Ouagadougou and 45 km (28 mi) from the border with Mali. It was founded in the 16th century, became the capital of a regional state in the 17th century, and later the seat of an emirate in the 18th century. It is known for its animal market. The main ethnic group is the Fulani.[2]
Djibo retains a traditional chieftaincy led by an emir.[3]
History
According to traditional accounts, Djibo was founded by Sambo Nana of Douentza in the second half of the 16th century. It became the capital of the Djilgodji state in the 17th century.[4] Around the late 17th or early 18th century, Fulani groups migrated into the region, allied with local clans, and formed the Jelgobe lineage.[5] In the 18th century's second half, the Jeloge under two brothers reportedly defeated the chiefs of the Djilgodji and set up two emirates, one centered at Djibo and the other at Baraboullé.[2]
Either 1834–37 or 1858, the Caliphate of Hamdullahi (Massina Empire) invaded the region,[6] and subjugated the local emirates including Djobo.[6][7] In 1897, Hamdullahi rule collapsed,[7] and the French took control. The latter chose Djobo as the center of the Jelgoji administrative unit in French Upper Volta.[8]
The spillway of Djibo Dam was the scene of a potentially catastrophic accident involving a cyanide-laden truck en route to the nearby Inata gold mine on the 29 July 2011.[9] The population of Djibo nearly tripled from about 100,000 to 270,000 between 2019 and 2022, as refugees fled from nearby villages due to the Islamist insurgency in Burkina Faso.[10] Africanews reported on 4 March 2022 that a humanitarian crisis was unfolding in the city as it was laid siege to by jihadist forces.[11] On 11 May 2025, more than 100 people were reported killed in an attack by jihadists on the town.[12]
List of emirs of Djibo
- Dicko Bouboucari dit Manga (r. 1919–1952)[13]
- Dicko Amadou Manga (r. 1952–1984)[13]
- Boubacari Dicko (r. 1987–2025)[14]
References
- ^ Citypopulation.de Archived 2022-08-02 at the Wayback Machine Population of cities & localities in Burkina Faso
- ^ a b Riesman 1998, pp. 23–24.
- ^ "Macron: 'New era' in economic, military strategy in Africa". The Seattle Times. 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
- ^ Rupley, Bangali & Diamitani 2013, p. 59.
- ^ Riesman 1998, pp. 23–24, 45.
- ^ a b Riesman 1998, pp. 45–46.
- ^ a b Rupley, Bangali & Diamitani 2013, pp. 59–60.
- ^ Riesman 1998, pp. 98–99.
- ^ Davies, Stephen (August 18, 2011). "Cyanide accident at Djibo dam in Burkina Faso: will the gold mines kill us before they save us? (Part One)".
- ^ Gänsler, Katrin (12 December 2022). "Forced to eat leaves: Hungry and besieged in Burkina Faso". al-Jazeera. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ AfricaNews (2022-03-04). "Siege of Djibo in Burkina Faso is a potential humanitarian disaster". Africanews. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ "More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in northern Burkina Faso". AP News. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Djelgodji/Djibo : L'Émir de Djibo repose désormais sur sa terre natale du Djelgodji". Agence d'Information du Burkina (AIB) (in French). 20 November 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ Inoussa Sankara (20 November 2025). "Burkina : L'Émir de Djibo repose auprès de son père ad vitam aeternam". Libre Info (in French). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
Works cited
- Riesman, Paul (1998). Freedom in Fulani Social Life: An Introspective Ethnography. Translated by Martha Fuller. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226717432.
- Rupley, Lawrence; Bangali, Lamissa; Diamitani, Boureima (2013). Historical Dictionary of Burkina Faso (revised ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810867703.
Further reading
- Hagberg, Sten; Kibora, Ludovic O.; Barry, Sidi; Cissao, Yacouba; Gnessi, Siaka; Kaboré, Amado; Koné, Bintou; Zongo, Mariatou (2023). Security from below in Burkina Faso. Citizen perceptions and perspectives (PDF). Uppsala Papers in Africa Studies. Translated by Anna Harrison. Uppsala University.
External links
- Djibo travel guide from Wikivoyage