Konna

Konna is a town and rural commune in the Cercle of Mopti in the Mopti Region of Mali. The town lies 60 km northeast of Mopti on the eastern edge of the flood plain of the Niger River. The main RN16 highway linking Sévaré and Gao branches to the east just to the south of the town. The commune has an area of approximately 838 km2 and contains the town and 24 of the surrounding villages.[3] In the 2009 census it had a population of 36,767.[2]

For the town of ancient Phrygia, see Konna (Phrygia).
Konna
Commune and town
Konna
Location in Mali
Coordinates: 14°56′48″N 3°53′36″W
Country Mali
RegionMopti Region
CercleMopti Cercle
Area
 • Total838 km2 (324 sq mi)
Elevation
268 m (879 ft)
Population
 (2009 census)[2]
 • Total36,767
 • Density44/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)

A weekly market is held in the town on Thursdays that attracts many people from the surrounding settlements.[4]

Northern Mali conflict
Main article: Battle of Konna

On January 2013, Konna was captured by Islamists.[5] The attack triggered French intervention in the war,[6] and with their aid the Malian government forces swiftly launched a counterattack to retake the town.[7][8] It was initially claimed by the Malian government that it had been successful in recapturing the town.[9] However, it was later denied by French military officials that the town had been retaken.[10] Fighting continued and the town was confirmed to be under Malian government control three days later.[11]

References
  1. Common and Fundamental Operational Datasets Registry: Mali, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, archived from the original on January 6, 2012. commune_mali.zip (Originally from the Direction Nationale des Collectivités Territoriales, République du Mali)
  2. Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Mopti) (PDF), République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique, archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2012
  3. Communes de la Région de Mopti (PDF) (in French), Ministère de l’administration territoriale et des collectivités locales, République du Mali, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-19.
  4. Quensière, Jacques, ed. (1994), La pêche dans le delta central du Niger: approche pluridisciplinaire d'un système de production halieutique (PDF) (in French), Paris: ORSTOM, Karthala, p. 539 Carte VI, ISBN 2709912023.
  5. Diallo, Tiemoko (10 January 2013), Mali Islamists capture strategic town, residents flee, Reuters, retrieved 16 January 2013.
  6. Mali crisis: West African leaders to meet in Ivory Coast, 19 January 2013, retrieved 19 January 2013.
  7. Mali crisis: UN calls for 'swift deployment' of troops, BBC, 11 January 2013, retrieved 12 January 2013.
  8. Mali and France 'push back Islamists', BBC, 12 January 2013, retrieved 12 January 2013.
  9. Malian army retakes central town from Islamists, Reuters, 11 January 2013, retrieved 13 January 2013.
  10. France military says Mali town Konna 'not recaptured', BBC, 15 January 2013, archived from the original on January 15, 2013, retrieved 16 January 2013.
  11. Mali army 'regains Konna and Diabaly' from rebels, BBC, 18 January 2013, retrieved 20 February 2013.


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