Kissidougou ( N’ko: ߞߛߌ߬ߘߎ߯; pronounced like Kiss-eh-dow-goo) is a city in southern

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

. It is the capital of in the

Kissidougou Prefecture Kissidougou is a prefecture located in the Faranah Region of Guinea. The capital is Kissidougou. The prefecture covers an area of 8,300 km.² and has a population of 283,609. Sub-prefectures The prefecture is divided administratively into ...

. Following intensified conflicts in Sierra Leone and

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

during the fall and winter of 2000, many people from the city of Guéckédou fled to Kissidougou and stayed. As of 2014 it had a population of 102,675 people. The town is served by

Kissidougou Airport Kissidougou Airport is an airport serving Kissidougou, a city in the Faranah Region of Guinea. The airport is southwest of the city. The Kissidougou non-directional beacon (Ident: KU) is located on the field. Accidents and incidents *On 16 Ja ...

, and the

Niandan The Niandan river is a tributary of the Niger river The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierr ...

river flows past the city.

Kissidougou City

Founded in the eighteenth century, the city is known for the coffee plantations and large expanses of nearby forest. Other attractions in the city include a museum, a football team and a major bridge. Although the market is open 7 days a week, it is especially busy on Tuesdays. The word ''Kissidougou'' means ''a place of refuge'' in Malinke, Kouranko alinke Sub-groupare the largest local ethnic group. The Guinean musician and singer Mory Kanté was from Kissidougou.

Ethnicity

Besides the dominant Kouranko and Kissi there are many other ethnic groups living in Kissidougou, including the Malinké and Fula. Many

Loma Loma may refer to: Geography United States * Loma, Colorado * Loma, Montana * Loma, Nebraska * Loma, North Dakota Other countries * Loma, Ladakh, a town in Ladakh, India * Loma (woreda), a district in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People ...

people live in this region as well, especially between Kissidougou and Macenta.

Climate

Kissidougou has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen climate classification ''Aw'').

Refugee crisis

Throughout the 1990s, the government of Guinea, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), provided international protection and assistance to Sierra Leonian and Liberian refugees residing along Guinea's southern border. In December 2000 and January 2001, a series of cross border attacks resulted in a massive shift in refugee (and Guinean) populations. Many fled to the Kissidougou and N'Zérékoré Prefectures in the Forest Region of Guinea. In February 2001, relocation of the Gueckédou and Faranah camps began with the transfer of temporary refugee settlements to new camps in the Albadariah sub-prefecture of Kissidougou. Throughout 2001, there were more than 400,000 refugees in Guinea, many in Kissidougou. This massive influx of Sierra Leonian refugees placed great stress on the government of Guinea as well as upon international aid organizations' ability to provide a stable, secure refuge. There were widespread accounts of sexual violence throughout the camps, despite the best efforts of the international relief organizations. www.arcrelief.org, KAP Survey

References

{{Authority control Sub-prefectures of the Faranah Region