Djado is a ghost town in Bilma in Niger. The settlement lies on the plateau with the same name. The settlement likely wasn't called Djado during its existence. The site is quite remote. No excavation has been done, so the real name of the settlement is unknown.

Geography

View from the highest point in Djado plateau.

The former Djado is located in an oasis, in the northeastern part of Ténéré desert. Ténéré desert is considered part of the Sahara. It is located on the southeastern end of the Djado plateau. For the administration, there's also a modern-day commune called Djado. The modern-day commune also comprises the Menfueni plateau and the Thchigai plateau. Modern-day Djado is the northernmost and easternmost commune in Niger. To the north, it borders Algeria and Libya, to the east, it lies on the border to Tchad. Neighboing communes in Niger are Dirkou to the south, Fachi to the southeast, and Iférouane to the west.[1]

There are three villages in the commune: Chirfa, Séguédine and Yaba. In addition, there are the nomad camps of Djado and Tchounouk, as well as military camps.[2] The main settlement is the village Chirfa.[3]

The ruins of Djado are on top of rocky cliffs. At the bottom of these cliffs are subterranean ponds, which also serve as an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Depending on the season, some of these ponds almost dry up completely. From the cliffs, the Kaouar valley can be reached. There's a desert made of pebbles to the west, beyond lie the Aïr mountains.

History

Ruins of buildings built of mud.

According to the tradition of the local Kanuri , the Sao founded Djado. They also founded other places, such as Tedjerhe in southern Fezzan. Tedjerje is the oldest known settlement of the Kaouar. It was the most important city culture of the Kotoko south of Lake Tchad. The ruins look like those of a city. Their modern-day name links them to Djado in Nafusa Mountains, southwest of Tripoli.

These two characteristics seem to point to a people that was sessile, but the current population of the region is mostly nomadic.

Djado was part of the kingdom of Sayfema of Kanem-Bornu at least since the reign of Dunama Dibalemi (1203–1243). For part of the time, they were independent, but they re-joined the empire of Idris Alauma (1564–1596). Idris Alauma moved through the desert, from Fachi to Bilma , 260 kilometres (160 mi) south of Djado.

As the power of the Bomu empire decreased, the people of the oasis were exposed to several raids of the Touareg, in the 18th and 19th century. They started to leave the place, and settled in Kaouar. Another reason might be that cattle herding in the region also introduced mosquitoes that spread malaria. In 1860, about 1000 Kanuri are said to have been left. In the middle of the 20th century, only a few Kanuri and Toubou were left. They mostly lived from growing dates, and harvesting salt.

French military flying over the region, during Opération Barkhane showing the military outpost Madama, in 2014.

The military outpost Madama was created in 1930, when Niger was a French colony.[4] In 1988. Rallye Dakar passed through Djado.[5]

In 2014, gold was discovered, which attracted up to 20.000 people from Niger, Chad, Libya and Sudan. Because there were many heavily-armed foreigners, and working conditions were very bad, Moussa Hassane Barazé, the responsible minister for mining operations, ordered the mines to be closed in 2017.[6]

Population

In 2012, 876 people lived in the commune, in 168 households.[2] In 2001, the count had been 936 people in 202 households.[7]

In the main village, there were 2088 people in 63 households, at the 2012 count;[7] In 2001, 208 people in 45 households, and in 1998, 260 people in 74 households.[8]

When it comes to harvesting, there are Tubu the area near the ghost town. In the eastern part of the commune, the language Tedaga , as well as Libyan Arabic are spoken. On the Algerian border, Tahaggart, a Tuareg language, is common.[9]

Books

References

  1. ^ "Carte de référence: Niger – Région de Agadez" (PDF) (in French). REACH. 2018-03-21. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  2. ^ a b "Répertoire National des Localités (ReNaLoc)" (RAR) (in French). Institut National de la Statistique de la République du Niger. July 2014. p. 8. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
  3. ^ Loi n° 2002-014 du 11 JUIN 2002 portant création des communes et fixant le nom de leurs chefs-lieux. République du Niger. 2002-06-11.
  4. ^ Histoire du Niger. Berger-Levrault. 1965. p. 232.
  5. ^ "Dakar Retrospective 1979–2007" (PDF). Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
  6. ^ "Le ministre des Mines évoque les vraies raisons de la fermeture des sites d'orpaillage du Djado au Niger". Niamey et les 2 jours (in French). 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  7. ^ a b "Répertoire National des Communes (RENACOM)" (RAR-Datei) (in French). Institut National de la Statistique. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
  8. ^ Recensement Général de la Population 1988: Répertoire National des Villages du Niger (PDF). Bureau Central de Recensement, Ministère du Plan, République du Niger. March 1991. p. 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-31.
  9. ^ "Niger map". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Seventeenth edition. SIL International. 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-18.

21°00′57″N 12°18′30″E / 21.01583°N 12.30833°E / 21.01583; 12.30833

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