Ounianga Kébir (Arabic: أونيانغا كبير) is a town in the Sahara Desert in the Ennedi Region of northern Chad. Located within the Ennedi Department, Ounianga also makes up a sub-prefecture.
Ounianga Kébir
أونيانغا كبير | |
|---|---|
  Ounianga Kébir Location in Chad (Ennedi Region highlighted) | |
| Coordinates: 19°03′18″N 020°29′14″E / 19.05500°N 20.48722°E | |
| Country |  Chad |
| Region | Ennedi (since 2008) |
| Department | Ennedi |
| Sub-Prefecture | Ounianga |
| Elevation | 1,299 ft (396 m) |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
| • Total | 10,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
History
editIn 1871, a Senussi zawaya was established in Ounianga Kébir.[2] According to W.J. Harding King of the Royal Geographic Society, in the 1920s, Ounianga (or Wanjunga) Kébir and Ounianga Serir were a part of a district called Wanjungat, which according to him had its own language and sultan named Mayna.[3] This sultanate remained under firm Senussi influence until November of 1929, when French soldiers occupied several posts in the Ennedi region, including Ounianga Kébir. During French administration, the nomadic tribes in the region were hardly subdued, and did not pay taxes or obey French laws. [2]
In late 1987, during the final days of the Toyota War, Chadian soldiers intercepted a Libyan column en route to Ounianga Kébir. They routed the soldiers north, across the Libyan border, and took Maaten al-Sarra air base.[4]
On January 13, 2007, The rebel group Union Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) attacked and briefly occupied Ounianga Kébir at dawn.[5] Later that day, it was attacked by Chadian government soldiers, who claimed they took the city and pursued the rebels, leaving three wounded Chadian soldiers and two wounded rebels and one dead.[6]
Transport
editThe town is served by Kébir Airport.
Geography
editOunianga Kébir is located next to the Lakes of Ounianga. The area is part of Sahara Desert and is a hot and hyperarid desert that features less than 2 millimetres (0.1 in) of rainfall a year. The town is in a basin between the mountains of West Tibesti and Ennedi East.
References
edit- ^ http://world-heritage-datasheets.unep-wcmc.org/datasheet/output/site/lakes-of-ounianga/ [bare URL]
- ^ a b "Public sitting held on Monday 21 June 1993, at 10 a.m., at the Peace Palace, President Sir Robert Jennings presiding". www.icj-cij.org. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
- ^ King, W. J. Harding (September 1913). "The Libyan Desert from Native Information". The Geographical Journal. 42 (3): 277–283. doi:10.2307/1778761. JSTOR 1778761.
- ^ Archives, L. A. Times (1987-09-09). "Killed 1,700 Libyans, Chad Reports". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
- ^ "Disputes over Chad rebel attack". 2007-01-13. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
- ^ SudanTribune (2007-01-15). "Chad army, rebels dispute control of remote town". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
External links
edit
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