Djibo

For other uses, see Djibo (disambiguation).

Djibo is a town in northern Burkina Faso and the capital city of Soum Province. It is situated 203 km (126 mi) north of Ouagadougou and 45 km (28 mi) from the border with Mali. It was founded in the 16th century^{[citation needed]} and became the capital of Djilgodji^{[citation needed]}, before becoming dominated by the Messina Empire in the 19th century^{[citation needed]}. It is known for its animal market^{[citation needed]}. The main ethnic group is the Fulani^{[citation needed]}.

Djibo
Town
Senegalia laeta specimen in Djibo
Djibo Location within Burkina Faso, French West Africa
Coordinates: 14°06′04″N 01°37′50″W
Country	Burkina Faso
Region	Sahel
Province	Soum Province
Founded	16th century[citation needed]
Elevation	286 m (938 ft)
Population  (2019 census)[1]
• Total	61,462
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)

Djibo retains a traditional chieftaincy led by an emir.^[2]

History

The spillway of Djibo Dam was the scene of a potentially catastrophic accident involving a cyanide-laden truck en route to the nearby Inata gold mine on the 29 July 2011.^[3] The population of Djibo nearly tripled from about 100,000 to 270,000 between 2019 and 2022, as refugees fled from nearby villages due to the ongoing civil war^[4]

Africanews reported on 4 March 2022 that a humanitarian crisis was unfolding in the city as it was laid siege to by jihadist forces.^[5] On 11 May 2025, more than 100 people were reported killed in an attack by jihadists on the town.^[6]