imported>Cesshire: Changing control status and adding UN retreat. See talk page for sources.

2025-04-22T15:59:29Z

Changing control status and adding UN retreat. See talk page for sources.

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement

| name = Ansongo
| other_name =
| native_name = 
| nickname =
| settlement_type = [[Communes of Mali|Commune]] and town
| motto = 
| image_skyline =
| imagesize =
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| flag_size =
| image_seal =
| seal_size =
| image_shield =
| shield_size =
| image_map =
| mapsize =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Mali
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Mali
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Mali}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Mali|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Gao Region]]
| subdivision_type2 = Cercle
| subdivision_name2 = [[Ansongo Cercle]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 = |
| government_footnotes =
| government_type =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 = 
| leader_name1 =
| established_title = 
| established_date = 
| area_magnitude =
| unit_pref = 
| area_footnotes = <ref name=sable>{{citation
|url=http://www.environnement.gov.ml/uploads/sifor/monographie/MonoAnsongo.pdf
|title=Schéma Directeur de Lutte Contre L'ensablement dans le Nord Du Mali (6ème Et 7ème Régions): Monographie de la Commune de Ansongo
|year=2004
|publisher=Ministère de l’Environnement et de L’assainissement, République du Mali
|language=French
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006044949/http://www.environnement.gov.ml/uploads/sifor/monographie/MonoAnsongo.pdf
|archivedate=6 October 2011
}}. Report includes a map.</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 445 
| area_land_km2 = 
| population_as_of = 2009 Census
| population_footnotes = <ref name=pop2009>{{citation|url=http://instat.gov.ml/documentation/gao.pdf |publisher=République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique |title=Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Gao) |language=French |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722215718/http://instat.gov.ml/documentation/gao.pdf |archivedate=22 July 2011 }}</ref>
| population_note =
| population_total = 32709
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi =
| population_metro =
| population_density_metro_km2 =
| population_density_metro_sq_mi =
| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities
| population_blank1 =
| population_density_blank1_km2 =
| population_density_blank1_sq_mi = 
| timezone = [[West Africa Time|WAT]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST =
| utc_offset_DST =
| coordinates = {{coord|15|39|34|N|0|30|6|E|region:ML|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>Elevation of the town</ref> 
| elevation_m = 246
| elevation_ft = 
| postal_code_type = 
| postal_code =
| area_code =
| blank_name =
| blank_info =
| blank1_name =
| blank1_info =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Ansongo ''' is a [[Communes of Mali|rural commune]] and small town in the [[Gao Region]] of eastern [[Mali]]. The town lies on the left bank of the [[Niger River]] 90 km south of [[Gao]]. It is the administrative center for the surrounding [[Ansongo Cercle]]. The commune covers an area of 445 square kilometers and in the 2009 census had a population of 32,709.

==Geography and climate==

Ansongo is located in the southern part of the Gao region. The rural commune of Ansongo was created on 4 November 1996.<ref name="USAID">{{cite web|url=http://www.csa-mali.org/plans/gao/Ansongo/P_S_A_Ansongo_vf.pdf |title=Plan de securite alimentaire commune rurale de Ansongo |year=2006 |publisher=[[USAID]], Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire (CSA) |accessdate=13 February 2009 |language=French |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122081944/http://www.csa-mali.org/plans/gao/Ansongo/P_S_A_Ansongo_vf.pdf |archivedate=22 November 2008 }}{{PD-notice}}</ref> It covers an area of approximately 445 km<sup>2</sup> and is mostly located on the left bank of the [[Niger River]] but includes a small area on the right bank.<ref name=sable/> As well as Ansongo, the commune includes the villages of Bazi-Gourma, Bazi-Haoussa, Monzonga, Seyna-Bella and Seyna-Sonrhai. The commune is bordered to the east by the town of [[Tin-Hama]], to the south by the commune of [[Bourre]], to the west by the commune of [[Tessit]] and to the north and north east by the communes of [[Bara, Mali|Bara]] and [[Talataye]].<ref name="USAID"/> The town of Ansongo has 23 councilors representing numerous parties. Directly to the east of the town is the Ansongo-Ménaka animal reserve, which covers an area of more than 4,300,000 acres (1,750,000 hectares).<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/26846/Ansongo Encyclopedic Britannica]</ref>

The climate is [[sahel]]ian, and is characterized by the alternation of two seasons: a long dry season (October to June) and a short wet season (July to September).<ref name="USAID"/> The annual rainfall varies between 250 and 350 mm depending on the year. Ansongo may experience major fluctuations in temperature, such as from 15 °C to 45 °C. The commune is overall on a low altitude and the Niger River plays a crucial role in the nature of the commune.<ref name="USAID"/>

There are two major types of soil in Ansongo, sandy clay soil along the river suitable for growing rice, vegetables and [[sorghum]] and the rearing of some livestock and sandy soils that occur in areas away from the river valley, notably the formations of sand dunes between which there are clay depressions.<ref name="USAID"/> The presence of sand however is sometimes covered by vegetation. Vegetation consists of wooded [[savanna]] with dominant species such as ''[[acacia]]s'', ''[[Ziziphus mauritiana]]'' and ''[[Euphorbia balsamifera]]''.<ref name="USAID"/>

==History==
{{Expand section|small=yes|find=search keywords|date=April 2023}}
In October 2022, large swaths of rural areas where conquered by the [[Islamic State in the Greater Sahara]] in the Ansongo Cercle causing the local civil society committee of Ansongo and its surroundings to launch 48 hours of civil disobedience.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/islamist-militants-mali-kill-hundreds-displace-thousands-eastern-advance-2022-10-14/ | title=Islamist militants in Mali kill hundreds, displace thousands in eastern advance | newspaper=Reuters | date=14 October 2022 | last1=Diallo | first1=Tiemoko }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20221107-mali-face-%C3%A0-l-ins%C3%A9curit%C3%A9-la-soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9-civile-du-cercle-d-ansongo-appelle-%C3%A0-la-d%C3%A9sob%C3%A9issance-civile | title=Mali: face à l'insécurité, la société civile du cercle d'Ansongo appelle à la désobéissance civile | newspaper=rfi | date=7 November 2022 | language=French | last1=Daniel | first1=Serge }}</ref>

In November 2023 [[MINUSMA]] officially closed its base in Ansongo.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.un.org/fr/story/2023/11/1140807 | title=Mali : la MINUSMA ferme une nouvelle base en vue de son départ définitif le 31 décembre | date=20 November 2023 | language=French }}</ref>

==Economy==

{{Image frame|width=280|content=
Niger River at Ansongo
<timeline>
#>Documentation at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:EasyTimeline/syntax <#
#>Data from http://www.compositerunoff.sr.unh.edu/html/Polygons/P1134900.html <#
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id:lightgrey value:gray(0.8)
id:darkgrey value:gray(0.3)
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id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.8,0.9)
ImageSize = width:280 height:200
PlotArea = left:40 bottom:15 top:5 right:5
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PlotData=
#>Draw bars <#
color:barra width:12 align:left
bar:Jan from:0 till: 1611
bar:Feb from:0 till: 1339
bar:Mar from:0 till: 971
bar:Apr from:0 till: 556
bar:May from:0 till: 203
bar:Jun from:0 till: 68
bar:Jul from:0 till: 98
bar:Aug from:0 till: 502
bar:Sep from:0 till: 1012
bar:Oct from:0 till: 1358
bar:Nov from:0 till: 1575
bar:Dec from:0 till: 1684
</timeline>
| caption =
Average monthly flow (m<sup>3</sup>/s) at the Ansongo hydrometric station over the period 1951–1992<ref>{{citation|title=Composite Runoff Fields V 1.0: Ansongo |url=http://www.compositerunoff.sr.unh.edu/html/Polygons/P1134900.html | publisher=University of New Hampshire/Global Runoff Data Center | accessdate=15 January 2011}}.</ref>
}}
Ansongo is primarily agricultural. The Niger River is of central importance to the economy although sometimes there is a risk from flooding.<ref name="USAID"/> Along the river the cultivation of different vegetables is important, as well as growing rice and sorghum. Around 80 percent of the population is employed in agriculture. Livestock is an important activity, and the town is the centre of trading. Animal husbandry includes cattle, [[camel]]s, sheep, goats, poultry, horses and [[donkey]]s.<ref name="USAID"/> Dairy products are also important but the lack of processing units in the commune is a problem which may also suffer from various epidemics among animals and humans, [[water scarcity]], and lack of pasture.<ref name="USAID"/> The Niger River also provides an abundance of fish, and numerous fisheries are dotted along the river. The number of fishermen is increasing due to immigration of people to Ansongo and fish farms have grown in recent years.<ref name="USAID"/> Crafts are mainly practiced by women, and include domestic leather, basketry, forge, [[pottery]], mats, hides and skins for trade at the market in the town.<ref name="USAID"/> Some artisans operate in the production of farm equipment, with plows, carts, daba, sickle, picks, shovels, stoves, etc. for sale in which farmers from the surrounding rural area in the commune will buy or trade their goods with.

Trade is important with many Arab [[Songhai people|Songhai]] and [[Tamasheq]] retail dealers, especially by women. Ansongo market trades in basic necessities such as sugar, tea, cereals, tobacco etc. A lot of these supplies are brought in from neighbouring [[Niger]], Nigeria, and also from other areas of Mali such as [[Gao]] and [[Bamako]].<ref name="USAID"/>

==Transport==
The town is served by [[Ansongo Airport]].

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Communes of the Gao Region}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Communes of Gao Region]]
[[Category:Communities on the Niger River]]
[[Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines]]

Ansongo - Revision history

imported>Cesshire: Changing control status and adding UN retreat. See talk page for sources.