Daloa is a city in western Ivory Coast. It is the seat of both the Sassandra-Marahoué District and the Haut-Sassandra Region. It is also the seat of and a sub-prefecture of Daloa Department. Daloa is also a commune. In the 2014 census, the city had a population of 245,360, making it the third-largest city in the country. It lies to the west of Yamoussoukro, the capital of Ivory Coast. Daloa is an important trading centre, particularly for cocoa. The city is served by Daloa Airport and is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Daloa, with its cathedral at Cathédrale du Christ-Roi.

History

Civil War

The town was repeatedly contested during the First Ivorian Civil War, which lasted from 2002 to 2004. Following the takeover of the town by the government on 16 October 2002, fifty civilians from the north were allegedly killed by government troops. Amnesty International described the killings as a "massacre", saying people in military uniform had killed people suspected of supporting the rebel Patriotic Movement of Côte d'Ivoire. The killings were allegedly based on their Muslim names or that the victims were nationals of Mali, Burkino Faso or Guinea. Côte d'Ivoire authorities ordered an inquiry but stated government forces had not been responsible. However, no charges were brought and the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement in March 2007 between President Laurent Gbagbo and rebel leader Guillaume Soro incorporated a general amnesty for crimes committed in this time, except for crimes against humanity, war crimes and economic crimes.

In February 2012, the International Criminal Court decided to investigate this incident.

Politics

Administration

Language

The Bété language, a Niger-Congo language belonging to the Kru branch, is spoken in Daloa.

Villages

The thirty four villages of the sub-prefecture of Daloa and their population in 2014 are:

Fauna

At least 30 amphibian species are found in Daloa and its surroundings. The following frog species have been recorded in Daloa.

1. Arthroleptidae

2. Arthroleptis spp. (Arthroleptis poecilonotus complex)

3. Leptopelis spiritusnoctis

4. Leptopelis viridis (very common near human settlements)

5. Bufonidae

6. Amietophrynus maculatus

7. Amietophrynus regularis (very common near human settlements)

8. Dicroglossidae

9. Hoplobatrachus occipitalis (commonly sold in markets for human consumption)

10. Hemisotidae

11. Hemisus marmoratus

12. Hyperoliidae

13. Afrixalus dorsalis

14. Hyperolius concolor concolor (very common near human settlements)

15. Hyperolius fusciventris fusciventris

16. Hyperolius guttulatus

17. Hyperolius nitidulus

18. Hyperolius picturatus

19. Hyperolius sp.

20. Kassina schioetzi

21. Kassina senegalensis

22. Microhylidae

23. Phrynomantis microps

24. Phrynobatrachidae

25. Phrynobatrachus calcaratus

26. Phrynobatrachus francisci

27. Phrynobatrachus gutturosus

28. Phrynobatrachus latifrons

29. Pipidae

30. Xenopus muelleri

31. Ptychadenidae

32. Ptychadena bibroni

33. Ptychadena mascareniensis

34. Ptychadena oxyrhynchus

35. Ptychadena tournieri

36. Ptychadena pumilio

37. Ptychadena tellinii

38. Ranidae

39. Amnirana albolabris

40. Amnirana galamensis

People

People from Daloa include:

• the musician Ernesto Djédjé

• the academic, politician and short-story writer, Séry Bailly

• the historian and diplomat Pierre Kipré

• the Celtic footballer Vakoun Issouf Bayo

Twin towns

Daloa is twinned with:

• Pau, France, since 1984

• Campinas, Brazil, since 1982

References