Kurmaan is a town in the

Gedo Gedo (, , , or ''Ghedu'') is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in Jubaland, southern Somalia. Its regional capital is Garbahaarreey. The region was formed during 1974 and is bordered by the Ogaden in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province ...

region of

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. Located in the southwestern part of the country, the town starts just east of

Bardera Bardere (, , ) also known as Bardera, is a city in Jubaland State of Somalia. It is the second most populous city in Jubaland with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region. Bardere sits on the Jubba River around 250& ...

, with Kurman Creek serving as the dividing line between

and Kurman. Kurman lies just west of the

Bardera Airport Bardera Airport is an airport serving Bardera, a city in the southern Gedo region in Somalia. Facilities The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 15/33 with a compacted sand surface measuring . ...

, alongside the

Juba River The Jubba River or Juba River (, ) is a river in southern Somalia which flows through the region of Jubaland. It begins at the border with Ethiopia, where the Dawa and Ganale Dorya rivers meet, and flows directly south to the Somali Sea, where ...

. Gedo Regions Highway 3 cuts through Kurman. Next main town on the road towards Sakow of

Middle Juba Middle Juba (, , ) is an administrative region (''Administrative divisions of Somalia, gobol'') in southern Somalia. With its capital at Bu'aale, it is located in the States and regions of Somalia, autonomous Jubaland region. Middle Juba is bord ...

is Anoole village.

Background

Kurmaan was formerly unofficially known as Buulo Kurmaan until the outbreak of the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

in the 1990s, when its population significantly increased. Local residents use the Bardera main market for everything from groceries, pharmacy and other services such as restaurants. Kurmaan was for a long time the only housing areas where low-income families could afford housing and land plots for future use. As land prices in other parts of Bardera became more expensive, many families from all parts of Bardera on both banks of the

Jubba River The Jubba River or Juba River (, ) is a river in southern Somalia which flows through the region of Jubaland. It begins at the border with Ethiopia, where the Dawa and Ganale Dorya rivers meet, and flows directly south to the Somali Sea, where ...

started to make homes in Kurmaan. Bardera West area prices for land plots ranged from $6,000 to $10,000 per plot, a range suitable for a family house measuring 20x20 metres. By contrast, the same land plots sizes in Kurmaan village, which were situated about three kilometres from the Bardera city centre, were selling for $1,500 to $4,000 per plot.

Location

Bardera Airport lies just northeast of Kurmaan village, thus making Kurmaan a part of Bardera. Residents of Kurmaan previously considered themselves residents of Bardera, but this self-perception is changing as the town grows in its own right.

Demographics

Some estimates put the town's population at around 7,000 inhabitants. The local population increased in tandem with the rise in development projects.

Development

Since 2006, more services, including schools and

madrasah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning ...

s became available in Kurmaan itself. The local creek now has a footbridge, which serves as an incentive for more people to buy land plots and/or move to Kurmaan altogether. As schooling services and small markets start to operate in the town, Kurmaan will increasingly look like a settlement independent of Bardera.

References

{{Reflist Populated places in Gedo