| Kebri Dahar Qabri Dahar |
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| View of Kebri Dahar | |
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Kebri Dahar
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| Coordinates: | |
| 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 and an elevation of 493 meters above sea level. Kebri Dahar is served by Kabri Dar Airport (ICAO code HAKD, IATA: ABK).
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]
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.
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