Dabaga, Niger

Dabaga
Dabaga Location in Niger
Coordinates: 17°16′N 08°06′E / 17.267°N 8.1°E / 17.267; 8.1
Country	Niger
Region	Agadez Region
Department	Tchirozérine Department
Population (2007)
– Total	35,000

Dabaga is a town in the Agadez Region of northern Niger. It is situated around 50 kilometers north of the regional capital, Agadez, on the main road leading north into the Air Mountains and the town of Elmeki. Like the nearby communities of Azel, Elmeki and Egandawel, Dabaga is an oasis in the Air Massif valleys, populated by both sendentary and semi-nomadic Tuaregs and small numbers of Hausa and other groups. According to UNICEF, Dabaga had a permanent population of 35,000 in early 2007, mostly families of Tuareg pastoralists, where the adult males traveled with their herds.^[1]

Though a village with a long history, Dabaga was officially designated the chief place of its own "Rural Commune" in 2002. ^[2] It is one of five communes in the Tchirozérine Department. ^[3]

2007-2008 violence

Dramatically effected by unrest in 2007-2008, Dabaga was briefly a center for a Doctors without borders project, which was forced out at the end of October 2007 due to attacks from unknown assailants.^[4]

In early 2008, Amnesty international alleged the civilian population had suffered repeated attacks by the Nigerien military, who suspect the residents of supporting Niger Movement for Justice (Mouvement des Nigériens pour la justice, MNJ) rebels in the ongoing Second Tuareg Rebellion. Amnesty reported that the village head, among others, had been murdered by Nigerien armed forces.^[5]

References

1. ^ A diary from the world's poorest country, Niger: Day Three - Dabaga. UNICEF News item 24 April 2007
2. ^ REPUBLIQUE DU NIGER, Loi n° 2002-014 du 11 JUIN 2002: portant création des communes et fixant le nom de leurs chefs-lieux.
3. ^ UNDP Background on proposed Dabaga based development project, 2007.
4. ^ Following armed attack Médecins Sans Frontières MSF halts activities in Dabaga Niger. Paris, Niamey, 24 October 2007
5. ^ Niger: Executions and forced disappearances follow army reprisals, 3 April 2008.
   See also: republicain-niger: April 2008

• Falling Rain.com: Dabaga.

Coordinates: 17°16′N 8°06′E / 17.267°N 8.1°E / 17.267; 8.1