Birni-N'Konni

Timestorey-

Birni-N'Konni (also Birnin-Konni or shortened to Konni/Bkonni) is a town in Niger, lying on the border of Nigeria and the Kori River. It is an important market town and transport huband the 2001 census had a population of 44,663. The town is the historic centre of the small pre-colonial Hausa state of Konni. The name is Hausa language for "Walled Town of Konni", and many Hausa towns (such asZinder) designate the old citadel neighbourhood the "Birni".^[1]

Birni-N'Konni Konni
Birni-N'Konni Location in Niger
Coordinates: 13°47′30″N 5°15′00″E
Country	Niger
Region	Tahoua Region
Department	Bkonni Department
Elevation	270 m (890 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	57,000

Konni is known for its vernacular architectureincluding traditional granaries and is regarded as a centre for smuggling between Niger and Nigeria, in which some suburbs of the town are officially located. Birni-N'Konni's contemporary importance rests on the surrounding agricultural lands and its place on the N1 highway, the main east-west highway linking Niger's capital Niamey and the nation's main eastern cities of Maradi andZinder. It also sits astride one of several main routes between the Hausa populated territories of southern Niger and northern Nigeria, with the Nigerian transport and trade centre of Illela, Sokoto State just 18 km to the south.

The town was also the site of a majormassacre on 8 May 1899 when the FrenchVoulet–Chanoine Mission attacked the region.