Balbala
Balbala ( Arabic بلبالا) is a southern suburb of Djibouti City . The name is said to be derived from "Blinken" (in Somali bal-bal ) of the nearby lighthouse.
After the unrest in 1966, a checkpoint was set up in front of the capital of what was then the French colony to prevent “subversive elements” from entering the city. In front of this checkpoint, a settlement of immigrants from other parts of the country and from neighboring countries, an informal cattle market and a caravan station developed. Police raids in the city and the subsequent deportations of unwanted newcomers further contributed to the growth of Balbala, which became a large slum.
After Djibouti's independence in 1977, the checkpoint was lifted, Balbala formally converted into a residential area and integrated into the urban development of Djibouti. It has officially been part of the city since 1987. In that first decade after independence, the population of Balbala tripled again.
Today (2000) Balbala has four primary schools, the most modern secondary school in the country and the second largest hospital, and its reputation has improved. The population is estimated at 80,000.
Balbala is also the title of a novel by Abdourahman Waberi .
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- 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 . Retrieved October 13, 2009.
Coordinates: 11 ° 34 ' N , 43 ° 6' E