Kebri Dahar Qabri Dahar
View of Kebri Dahar
Kebri Dahar Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates: 6°44′N 44°16′E / 6.733°N 44.267°E / 6.733; 44.267
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Somali
Zone	Kebri Dahar
Elevation	1,609 m (5,279 ft)
Population (2005)
• Total	36,191
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Kebri Dahar (Somali: Qabridahare) is a town in the eastern part of Ethiopia known as the Ogaden. Located in the Korahe Zone of the Somali Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of 6°44′N 44°16′E / 6.733°N 44.267°E / 6.733; 44.267Coordinates: 6°44′N 44°16′E / 6.733°N 44.267°E / 6.733; 44.267 and an elevation of 493 meters above sea level. Kebri Dahar is served by Kabri Dar Airport (ICAO code HAKD, IATA: ABK).

History[link]

The earliest mention of Kebri Dahar is in 1931, when it was described as "a soldier's camp" that suffered from malaria; although the settlement was 500 meters above the river, the scrub between the two had not been cleared and provided the mosquitos sufficient cover to reach their victims.^[1] According to Margery Perham, prior to the Italo-Abyssinian War, the Italians established a garrison at Kebri Dahar.^[2]

A hospital for the town was under construction in 1958, when Emperor Haile Selassie inspected it during a tour of the Ogaden. In 1966 a road was built connecting Kebri Dahar and the new town of Gode.^[1] The Ethiopian Road Authority announced a construction project to connect Kebri Dahar with neighboring towns. One road, to include 113.5 kilometers of paved road and five bridges will connect Kebri Dahar with Shekosh, while a second, which will include the creation of 95 kilometers of paved road and construction of six large and medium bridges, will connect the town to Danan.^[3]

During the Ogaden War, Kebri Dahar was defended by the Ethiopian Ninth Brigade against the Somali Army before abandoning it in disarray and Somali army capturing it thereafter.^[4] It was recpatured by the Ethiopian Third Paracommando Brigade 8 March 1978.^[5]

Demographics[link]

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Kebri Dahar has an estimated total population of 36,191 of whom 19,327 are men and 16,864 are women.^[6] The 1997 census reported this town had a total population of 24,263 of whom 12,768 were men and 11,495 women. The two largest ethnic groups reported in this town were the Somali (89.02%), and the Amhara (2.58%); all other ethnic groups made up 8.4% of the population.^[7] It is the largest settlement in Kebri Dahar woreda.

Notes[link]