Balbala

Balbala is a southern suburb of Djibouti City. The name may be derived from the "Flashing" ( in Somali bal - bal) of the nearby lighthouse.

After riots in 1966 a checkpoint has been erected in front of the capital of the former French colony, to prevent " subversive elements " at the entrance to the city. Upstream of this checkpoint developed a settlement of migrants from other parts of the country and from neighboring countries, an informal cattle market and a caravan station. Police raids in the city and the subsequent deportation of unwanted newcomers further contributed to the growth Balbalas, which became the great slum.

After the independence of Djibouti 1977, the checkpoint was abolished, Balbala formally transformed into a residential and integrated in the urban development of Djibouti. Since 1987, it is officially part of the city. In this first decade of independence, the population of Balbala had tripled again.

Today ( 2000) has Balbala four primary schools, the state of the art secondary school in the country and the second largest hospital, and his reputation has improved. The population is estimated at 80,000.

Balbala is also the title of a novel by Abdourahman Waberi.

Swell

• Balbala, in Daoud A. Alwan, Yohanis Mibrathu: Historical Dictionary of Djibouti, Scarecrow Press 2000, ISBN 0-8108-3873-7
• Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: Djibouti: Urban development and challenges. Accessed on 13 October 2009.

11.56148443.1068632Koordinaten: 11 ° 34 'N, 43 ° 6' O

• Location in Djibouti
• Place in Africa