Fada, Chad

For other uses, see Fada (disambiguation).

Fada (Arabic: فادا) is the capital of the Ennedi-Ouest Region of Chad, which was created in 2012 from the western half of the Ennedi Region.^[1]

Fada فادا
Town
French colonial fort
Fada Location in Chad
Coordinates: 17°11′40″N 21°34′55″E
Country	Chad
Region	Ennedi-Ouest (since 2012)
Department	Fada
Sub-Prefecture	Fada
Elevation	1,844 ft (562 m)
Population  (2005)
• Total	23,786
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (WAT)

Lying in the Ennedi Plateau, it has a population of 23,786 (as of December 2005). It is known for the surrounding cave paintings and rock formations, while the Guelta d'Archei and a wood growing in a wadi are local attractions.

During the Toyota War phase of the Chadian–Libyan War in 1987, the town saw fighting during the Battle of Fada.^[2][3]

The town is served by Fada Airport.

History

Rock paintings and archaeological artifacts at nearby Guelta d'Archei, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, show evidence that humans occupied the area around 10,000 BCE during the African humid period.

Idriss Déby, a former military officer and president of Chad, was born in the village of Berdoba, about 190 kilometres from Fada. As a student, he attended the École-Francaise in studying the French language.

On 2 January 1987, during the Toyota War, Fada was the scene of a battle fought between Chad and the armed forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the Democratic Revolutionary Council. The battle was marked as a turning point of the Chadian-Libyan conflict.