Diffa is a city and Urban Commune in the extreme southeast of

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

, near the border with

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. It is the administrative seat of both

Diffa Region Diffa is one of the seven regions of Niger, and is located in the southeast of the country. The capital of the region is Diffa. Geography Diffa Region is situated in the extreme southeast of Niger between 10° 30’ and 15° 35’ longitude E ...

, and the smaller Diffa Department.Geels, Jolijn, (2006) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Niger'', pgs. 229-31Idrissa, Abdourahmane & Decalo, Samuel, ''Historical Dictionary of Niger'' (4th ed.). Scarecrow Press, Boston & Folkestone, (2012) , the commune had a total population of 56,437 people.

History

In 2002, it was the centre of the first military uprising in the country since President Tandja Mamadou instituted civilian rule; the uprising led to a government crackdown against the civilian press.

Nigerian refugees

In recent years, refugees from Nigeria fleeing violence from

Boko Haram Boko Haram, officially known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad (), is a self-proclaimed jihadist militant group based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali. In 2016, the group spli ...

have settled in Diffa and surrounding area.

Geography

Diffa is situated on the north bank of the Komadougou Yobe river; the river's seasonal floodplain lies immediately to the south and east. Much of the riverbank is lined with gardens and small allotments which grow the town's well-known red peppers. The town is bisected in an arc by the Route Nationale 1 road; the eastern part of town is centred on the ''Grand Marché'', which also acts as the transport hub for the city.

Climate

Diffa has a hot climate with a wet and dry season. On 7 September 1978, Diffa recorded a temperature of , which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Niger.

Architecture

Sports buildings

A traditional wrestling arena is located to the northeast of the ''Grand Marché''. Diffa Stadium can be found west of the RN1.

Religious buildings

The town contains several mosques, most notably the Grande Mosquée de Diffa on the RN1.

Transport

Diffa marks the eastern end of the paved section of Route Nationale 1, the main east-west highway across Niger, although the section between

Zinder Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 235,605 as by the 2012 census. It is situated east of the capital Niamey and north of the Nigerian city of Kano. History ...

and Diffa is only partially paved in places. RN1 continues north to

N'guigmi N'guigmi is a city and Communes of Niger, Commune of fifteen thousand in the easternmost part of Niger, very near to Lake Chad – lying on its shore until the lake retreated. It is a crossroads for the traditional camel caravans of the Toureg ...

more than 100 km. Maïné-Soroa, the other major town of the Region, lies less than 100 km to the west of Diffa. The border with

, at the Nigerian town of Duji, is 5.5 km to the south of Diffa. Diffa Airport lies to the north of the town.

Gallery

File:Conseil de ville Diffa.JPG, Headquarters of the Regional council File:School gate diffa niger 2006.jpg, A school in Diffa File:Diffa palais de Justice.JPG, The ''Palais de Justice''

References

{{Authority control Communes of Niger