Ali Sabieh (, ) is the second largest city in Djibouti. It is situated about Southwest of Djibouti City and north of the border with Ethiopia. It sprawls on a wide basin surrounded by granitic mountains on all sides. Ali Sabieh mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination for Djiboutians. The famous landmark of Ali Sabieh is located near the city.
History
Ali Sabieh was a small village when the French created their French Somaliland. During the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the Ifat and Adal Sultanates subsequently came under Ottoman and French protection in the 18th century. According to an old legend, the present-day territory of Ali Sabieh was covered by some trees, wadis and a well. Where the nomads use to stop here for water on their way to the towns of Zeila or Harar,and after signing the treaties in 1894 with the then ruling Ugaas of Issa Somali, to establish a protectorate in the region referred to as French Somaliland. Ali Sabieh became an administrative and commercial centre in the 19th century after the construction of the Ethio-Djibouti Railways, the first railway in French Somaliland. The railway reached this location on 14 July 1900. During this time, Ali Sabieh became the town that profited most from it and became a "boom city", attracting most of the trade. In 1904, a report notes that "when the border post of Ali Sabieh, it has the appearance of a fortress. Attached to the circle of "Gobad-Dikkil" from its inception in 1931, Ali Sabieh became the chief town of a circle autonomously 1939.
During World War II, Italy's declaration of war on France and Great Britain came on 10 June 1940. The Italians did undertake some offensive actions beginning on 18 June. From Harrar Governorate, troops under General Guglielmo Nasi attacked the fort of Ali-Sabieh, there was some skirmishing over the Ethio-Djibouti Railways. Between 1 and 10 July several clashes with the Italians took place at Ali-Sabieh and along the railroad. On 10 July when the government learned that the armistice was not yet put into effect in French Somaliland, President Philippe Pétain a collaborationist government at Vichy sent General Gaëtan Germain as his personal representative to correct the situation. Negotiations at Dewele, Italian East Africa on the local implementation of the armistice were only finally completed on 8 August. When the Italian invasion of British Somaliland the territory was completely surrounded on land by Italian possessions.
The Commander-in-Chief, East Africa, William Platt, codenamed the negotiations for the surrender of French Somaliland "Pentagon", because there were five sides: himself, the Vichy governor, the Free French, the British minister at Addis Ababa and the United States. Christian Raimond Dupont surrendered and Colonel Raynal's troops crossed back into French Somaliland on 26 December 1942, completing its liberation. The official handover took place at 10:00 p.m. on 28 December. The first governor appointed under the Free French was André Bayardelle. It was briefly attached to the Circle of Djibouti from 1946 to 1949, then again to that circle of Gobad-Dikkil, 1952 to 1958, and to regain its own administration from 1958 but in 1967 it was transformed into districts.
Following the conclusion of the 1977-1978 Ogaden War, Ali Sabieh, along with Dikhil, accommodated three quarters of the 8,000 Issa Somalis who had fled Ethiopia.
Overview
Ali Sabieh is the capital of the Ali Sabieh Region. It lies along National Highway 5.
Nearby towns and villages include Dikhil (50 km), Arta (69 km), Ali Adde (22 km), Assamo (24 km), Dewele (18 km), Dasbiyo (15 km), Holhol (33 km) and Guelile (10 km). Public buses go from Djibouti City to Ali Sabieh. It takes two hours to get to Ali Sabieh. A contracted bus ride from Djibouti city to Ali Sabieh can charge between 700 Djiboutian franc. Ali Sabieh's central location has contributed to its economic revival. Goods travelling to other parts of Djibouti all depart from the city's outskirts.
Demographics
, the population of Ali Sabieh has been estimated to be 147,987. The city inhabitants belong to various mainly Afro-Asiatic-speaking ethnic groups, with the Issa Somali predominant. Ali Sabieh is the second largest cities of Djibouti after Djibouti city with about 250,547 residents.
Sports
Ali has two soccer fields and one basketball court. One of the football fields has a capacity of 1,500 spectators. It is home to the Djibouti Super Football League's Ali Sabieh FC.