Mao ( ar, مؤ) is a city in
Chad, the capital of the
Kanem Region
Kanem ( ar, كانم) is one of the 23 regions of Chad. It is named after the famous Kanem Empire, which was centred in this vicinity. The region's capital is Mao. It was created in 2002 from the former Prefecture of Kanem. In 2008, a porti ...
and of the
department also named
Kanem. It is the
16th most populous city in
Chad, and is located north-northeast of
N'Djamena
N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements''.
The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad. Meat, fish and cotton processing are the c ...
.
On the border of the
Sahara, Mao's geography is marked by
sand dunes and sparse vegetation. A large majority of Mao's residents are
Muslim. There are two
Christian churches (one
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and one
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
) in Mao.
As in other Chadian regions, Mao is ruled by both a traditional Sultan
and by central government officials. The Sultan of Kanem, who resides in Mao, is the traditional chief of the
Kanembou people.
Moves toward decentralisation have been stymied by the complex and sometimes tense relationships between traditional rulers in Chad and national authorities.
History
Mao was created in 1898 by Sultan Ali, brother of Sultan Djourab who was assassinated by the
Fezzan
Fezzan ( , ; ber, ⴼⵣⵣⴰⵏ, Fezzan; ar, فزان, Fizzān; la, Phazania) is the southwestern region of modern Libya. It is largely desert, but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ...
s and other accomplices. Since 1900, Mao has been the effective administrative center of the north.
On 18 July 2010, the Sultan of Kanem, Alifa Ali Zezerti, died in hospital in N'Djamena aged 83, from complications from a heart attack. He was the 39th ruler of the Kanem dynasty, and had reigned since 1947. He was buried in Mao. His predecessor, Sultan Zezerti, had died on 26 September 1947, having ruled since 1925. His son was elected as Sultan in a by-election without competition.
In October 2013, riots broke out in Mao's main market directed against the administration of
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby Itno ' (18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the president of Chad from 1990 until his death in 2021.
Déby was a member of the Bidayat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. A high-ranki ...
after the shooting dead of a civilian by an officer close to Déby.
On 30 September 2015, around 8 pm, a major fire burned through the main market of Mao. The origin could not be determined. No deaths were reported.
On 12 May 2016, at 5 am, a large fire spread throughout the main market of Mao, the second in under two years. The fire started in a nearby fuel depot. No human casualties were reported.
Transport
The area is very isolated and land travel is difficult (along sand tracks that can only be negotiated using four-by-four vehicles or camels).
The town has a small airport,
Mao Airport , with a paved runway.
Economy
On Wednesdays, which is "Grand Market Day", fresh produce is sold such as onion, garlic, dates, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and sometimes aubergines, which were introduced in 2009 by the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
. Fruits are also sold, especially bananas and sometimes mangoes,
papayas
The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and C ...
and
guavas
Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...
.
Millet is also available in both white and red types.
Demographics
The number of population for 1993 and 2009 correspond to the official census, for 2019 it was estimated based on population growth in the Kanem area.
References
Notes
{{reflist
Sources
* Joël Thomas, 'Enquête exploitation dans la région de Mao (Kanem),' 1990, 1991, 134 p.
*
Gustav Nachtigal
Gustav Nachtigal (; born 23 February 1834 – 20 April 1885) was a German military surgeon and explorer of Central and West Africa. He is further known as the German Empire's consul-general for Tunisia and Commissioner for West Africa. His missio ...
« Excursion au sud du Kanem » in ''Sahara et Soudan'', Hachette & Cie, Paris, 1881, p. 440 and following
Populated places in Chad
Kanem Region