In Senegal

Two places have been created in Africa, in the Republic of Senegal, in the southwestern part of the country called Casamance. Kafountine and Ziguinchor are located in this region.

Far away from Dakar’s hustle and bustle, Ziguinchor is a quiet wooded provincial town, (200,000 inhabitants): kapok trees, flamboyants, cashew trees, palm trees and bougainvilleas provide a welcome shade. There are not so many cars circulating, but you’ll come across many carts pulled by donkeys, bicycles and mopeds´all over the place. Only the main roads are tarmacked otherwise you travel over sandy trails.

Kafountine, the village where is located: The Outouka Village

The beach is huge. As you follow the shore to the right, you can walk all the way to Abene (8 kms), famous for its reggae festival at the end of the month of December. Towards the left, you can go as far as the landing platform and see the arrival the fishers’ pirogues arriving in the morning. A colourful show indeed! The village is built at a distance from the sea, about 1 km inland. The tourist camps and the Outouka Village, however, are located close to the ocean. You will find a few grocery stores therre, but for more substantial purchases, you need to walk to the village. However, there are no cash dispensers !

The weather in Senegal

The country’s weather: it usually rains very seldomly in this part of the Sahel. But the variations between different areas are huge. Between Podor - in the vicinity of Saint Louis - and Kabrousse in Casamance, the changes appear in the vegetation, which becomes more and more intensely dense and green.
It is in fact Senegal in which the transition between the Sahelian area and the humid tropical zone.

The climate of Ziguinchor and Kafountine, even if it fluctuates yearly, from November to May, is the dry season (precipitations from 0 to 8 mm).
The month of June announces the wet season, which culminates in July, August and September (precipitations from 350 to 520 mm). From October on, it is the progressive return to calm (precipitations of 150 mm).

Practical information: Travelling from Europe to Casamance

We advise you to search on the internet (www.opodo.com, www.promovols.com, www.partir-pas-cher.com, etc.) or to consult Nouvelles Frontières.
There are Paris – Dakar, Paris - Cap Skirring, Stockholm – Banjul, Frankfurt – Banjul charter flights. Regular flights with a stop in all major Europeen cities for Dakar and Banjul. Regular and direct flights from Paris and Marseille to Dakar with Air Senegal International and Air France.

Staying in Dakar

You wish to spend a night in Dakar and simply would like to rest in a quiet spot near the ocean.
We recommend the Cap Ouest (Cap Ouest Hotel: Yoff neighborhood – Tel 820 24 69 Fax: 820 77 21), 900 meters from the airport, it’s good value for your money.
Cap Ouest Hotal: Yoff neighborhood – Tel: 820 24 69 Fax: 820 77 21.
If you are staying more than one night in Dakar, we then recommend more personalized accommodation; in a small appartment (for 2 or 3 people) in the courtyard of our friends Mr. And Mrs. Diallo, in the Sicap Baobab neighborhood, between the airport and downtown. The rathes are the same as in the Cap Ouest Hotel
Email†: bed@sentoo.sn. Tel: 00221 – 825 93 67. If you are spending one full day in Dakar, you can use that opportunity to visit the island of GorÈe (20 minutes by boat from the harbour) or wander in the neighborhood of the Ngor beach, 20 mns from the airport.
But take the traffic jams into account! The downtown area and its famous Independance Square are quite tiring, since the street vendors and guides are constantly harassing you.

Exchange

The simplest solution is to change money at the airport, at the counter located on the ground floor or the one located on the first floor, right staircase.
Avoid unauthorized exchanging in the hall. You will also find ATMs and banks in the downtown area around Independance Square.

Taxis in Dakar

In Dakar, you must negotiate the fares with the driver before getting in, quietly but firmly.
If you don’t come to an agreement, go and find another taxi! Only the taxis which are organized on the right when going out of the airport terminal can’t be negotiated: 4,000 CFA francs a ride.
Besides, Dakar is a booming megalopolis and traffic jams are disastrous.
At rush hours, it can take you 2 hours to drive from the town centre to the airport (2000 CFA francs).

Transports between Dakar and Ziguinchor
By plane:

Daily return flights (58,000 CFA francs) are operated by Air S»n»gal between Dakar and Ziguinchor.
You can book your ticket in your travel agency in France, or on site, in the airport.
Yet, during the rainy season, daily return flights are quite random and you’d better plan to leave Ziguinchor 1 or 2 days in advance.

Dakar/Ziguinchor boat:
By boat:

A shipping line has been working since November 2005. For the night, the Willis offers bunks in a dormitory or in 4-people cabins, or armchairs.
You can eat on board. You will discover the Senegalese coast and the Casamance River.

Boarding days & hours:

DAKAR – ZIGUINCHOR On Tuesdays & Fridays at 8pm.
Boarding from 3pm to 7pm.
ZIGUINCHOR – DAKAR On Thursdays & Sundays at 3pm.
Boarding from 11am to 2pm.

On the road by bush-taxis:

The trip is tiring for you must allow 10 to 12 hours on average, including the Gambia River crossing by car-ferry. On the other hand, you can discover the landscape of Senegal, of the Gambia and of the Casamance River. And above all, you live the experience of public transports and unexpected meetings. The departure takes place early in the morning, preferably around 4:30am to avoid the heat, from the “Firemen” coach station (regular departures all morning long from 4am) in the town centre. The departure takes place when the bush-taxi is full. You must allow 8,500 CFA francs per person (Add about 100 CFA francs per luggage), and 7 people squeeze up in the station wagon. All along the road, you can buy drinks and sandwiches and you have a long break while waiting for the car-ferry in The Gambia (Transit taxes at the Gambian customs: 1,000 CFA francs for entry and for exit). Concerning the toilet, it’s more complicated for ladies!! There is nothing but bushes for this purpose! Do not hesitate to ask the driver to stop. During the rainy season, there is no problem to drive, except sometimes when going out of Dakar, for the Rufisque district may be flooded. In that case, you must allow 2 hours more.

Taxis and buses in Ziguinchor

Buses circulate between the town centre and the districts of Boukot, Grand Dakar, Alliance FranÁaise (French Alliance), NÈfoulËne and NÈma. There are no specific stops, all you have to do is raise your hand and the bus will stop. Do the same to get off. The seat costs 100 CFA francs. Buses circulate from sunrise to sunset. The taxi fare is fixed and can’t be negotiated, except from the airport (You have to pay a surplus for your luggage, about 100 CFA francs a bag): 400 CFA francs: town centre (Escale, Boudodi) and close districts (Sindiane, Santhiaba, TilËne, Goumel, NÈma, Grand Dakar, local Hospital, French Alliance, NÈfoulËne, SoucopapaÔ, Boukot (St Maur market, crafts market), coach station. 450 CFA francs for remote districts: (Lindiane, Colobane, airport, KandÈ) 600 CFA francs at night.

Road or river transports

From the coach station to Goumel:

Buses: (19 seats, 30 seats): price of the pass to Cap Skiring: 700 CFA francs, to Kafountine: 1,700 CFA francs.
You must pay for the luggage on the roof only (about 100 CFA francs a middle-size bag).
7-people station wagons: price of the pass to Cap Skiring: 1,400 CFA francs, to Kafountine 2,200 CFA francs. You must pay for the luggage in the boot and you can negotiate the price (about 100 CFA francs a middle-size bag).

From the landing stage of the old car-ferry:

It is located next to the Perroquet Hotel, in the Escale district. You will travel by group pirogues to the villages which are located on the riverside: Djilapao (1 h), Affiniam (1h30), Carabane (3h), DjoggÈ (5h), Niomoune (4h), haer (5h), Itou (5h). Price varies between 500 and 1,200 CFA francs.

What to know about the Republic of Senegal in general.

Offical name: Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal).
Capital : Dakar.
Offical language: French.
Other idioms: Wolof (spoken by 80% of the population), SÈrËre,
Pulaar, Diola, Mandingue and SocÈ.
Main religion: Islam.
Religion distribution: Muslim (90%), Christian (5%), Animist (5%).
Independence Day: April, 4th.
Currency: CFA Franc.
100CFA Francs = 0,15 €uro.
1 €uro = 655,96 CFA Francs.
Surface area: 196 722km
Population (estimation): 10 000 000 inhabitants.
Population growth rate: 2 % per year.
Infant mortality rate (1991): 8,6%
Répartition (1988) :
38,6% of urban population,
61,40% of rural population.
Life expectancy (1991):
56 years old for women,
54 years old for men.
Literacy rate:
38,3% of the adult population (1990).
Senegal is located at the very West point of Africa between latitude 12,5_- 16,5_ north and longitude 12_-17_ west. The country is bounded on the West by the Atlantic Ocean (700kms of coasts).
Border countries from North to South:
Mauritania, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The Gambia is landlocked in the South part and opens on the ocean.
The country has been divided into 10 administrative regions gathering 30 “dÈpartements” (divisions) since March 24th, 1984: Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, ThiËs and Ziguinchor.

The Republic of Senegal is a multi-party democracy. The Prime Minister is the Head of the Government.

The main resources are fishing, tourism, groundnut and phosphates.

Some history:
Portuguese & French colonization in Casamance.

In search of slaves, the Portuguese discovered Casamance in 1455 and established a trading post at Ziguinchor in 1645. In 1826, the French settled in DjogÈ (Casamance River’s entry), then in Diembering on the Atlantic coast. Around 1888, the French repulsed the Portuguese (In Ziguinchor, many people still speak the Portuguese Creole, especially in the districts of Santiaba, Boudodi and KandÈ) towards Guinea and the English towards The Gambia. They signed a treaty delimiting the borders of the new French colony. Ziguinchor became the region’s administrative capital in 1904. Facing the progressive taxation of the groundnut culture, and then the requisitioning of cattle and rice during World War II, the Diolas revolted under the leadership of a young woman: Aline SitoÈ Diatta. On April 4th, 1960, Senegal declared independence and President LÈopold Senghor sent government officials coming from the North of the country to Casamance.

Casamance people’s rebellion since 1982.

Casamance people criticized successive governments for favouring the North’s development to the detriment of the South. After a peace march in 1982, then repressions in 1983, the MFDC (Mouvement des Forces DÈmocratiques de Casamance = Democratic Forces Movement of Casamance, led by Abbot Diamacoune Senghor) called for the independence of Casamance. In 1984, Sidy Badji founded the armed wing of the MFDC and waged guerrilla war against the Senegalese Authorities. Many think that the rebellion was a turning point in Casamance people’s life for it deeply traumatized them. Indeed, it marked an inevitable breaking with traditions since they couldn’t perform ceremonies in the bush anymore because of safety precautions. Besides, many denunciations which were aroused by jealousy wore down the mutual trust within the population. The Casamance suffered a second traumatic experience on September 26th, 2002: the sinking of “Le Joola” ferry which linked Ziguinchor to Dakar. 1863 people officially died, mostly young Diolas who studied in Dakar. Only 60 people survived, as it took 14 hours for the rescue party to arrive on the spot! On October 27th, 2002, three thousands women demonstrated in Ziguinchor to ask for peace. At the head of their movement, there were the women of “Bois SacrÈ” (Holy Wood), who used to support the independence movement until then. (They might have then dug up the fetishes which were intended to make the movement win). On December 30th, 2004, Abbot Diamacoune Senghor and the Home Secretary signed an agreement to start peace process (More information about the themes of rebellion and peace on: http://blog.france.2.fr, www.ipsnews.net/fr) which is still under discussion at the moment.

Casamance, the Diola country.

The current Casamance has been populated around the delta by the Diola ethnic group whose cultural variations depend on the location, especially concerning dialects: Diola Kosa and the whistled language (See under the “langage sifflÈ diola” rubric on the website: www.senegalaisement.com) in the Oussouye region in the south of the river, KwataÔ in Djembering and Gnikine, Diola Fogny in the north of the river, KaronikÈ on the Carone islands, AramÈ. Fishing camps, which are more or less settled, mainly gather Guineans and Lebous along the river, as well as in the villages of DjoggÈ and Elinkine. The minority BaÔnuk group occupies the north side of the river and the Bassari goup is in the hilly regions, on the East of the delta, around Kolda. Throughout the centuries, successive migrations (About ethnic migrations: “presentation” by GÈrard Gaillard – http://www.univ-lille1.fr) have contributed to the settlement of various ethnic groups (Read: “peuples du SÈnÈgal” = peoples of Senegal – collective work – SÈpia editions – 1996). These groups have made Casamance turn into a medley of traditions: the Mandjaks (About the Mandjak culture: http://www.kadeer-mandjaku.com), the Mankays, the Balants, the SÈrËres from SinÈ Saloum; the Toucouleurs, the Wolofs and the Lebous from the North. The Mandingues (or “Soussou”, a mocking term) who came from Mali in the 19th century have a particularly great influence in the Fogny region and have contributed to the Islamization of the region. The Fulanis, an ethnic group composed of cattle breeders who traditionally travel West Africa with their droves, have settled in some villages to manage the oxen. Others are in charge of trade, mainly local shops. The Moors, or Nar Ganar, coming from Mauritania, are mainly settled in town and work in trade business. The Lebanese, or Nar LibanËs, from the Diaspora, have lived for several generations in Senegal and Ziguinchor. Marriages with Natives are rare. Named the “Bourgeois”, they are successful in trade business. Europeans are mainly represented by French people, who have lived there for several years, working, in the majority, in hotel business or in the service industry, or who have temporarily expatriated themselves to work in NGO or humanitarian organizations (limited missions in medical field or education). The Spanish have also been present in Casamance for several years through Christian missions or humanitarian organizations, especially in agricultural field. Some Canadians, Germans, Belgians, Swiss and Americans also work in humanitarian organizations on the spot: Procas, Caritas… Moreover, the river is quite recently lively with sailing boats (mainly French ones), which come most of the time during the dry season.

Rainy and dry seasons in Casamance

The rainy season starts in June and ends in October. Tropical storms or “tornadoes” alternate with sunny periods.
Nature comes back to life: vegetation grows green again, mangoes and mads (an acid fruit) ripen, cows get bigger, and birds and mosquitoes swarm at night!
The traffic on the roads gets more risky because of the floods and beaches are deserted by tourists. You must come during this season if you really want to discover the Casamance for villages are bustling with activity because of rice culture. All the young come back to take part in it. It’s also a festive period: initiations, weddings, August 15th for Christian people, weekly parties organized by young people, and the famous navetanes: football tournaments between villages. The final takes place in Ziguinchor. It’s also the time of traditional Diola wrestlings (at the end of September). In Ziguinchor, it’s the season when young people dress up as Konkouran to scare children. You can see them walking noisily in the streets. The rains stop gradually and the dry season starts in November. Rice culture lasts until December. Family and associations’ vegetable gardening starts again and vegetable markets soon reappear. It’s the season of oranges, ditars, lemons and papayas too. Children start school again at the beginning of October, so most of the young leave their villages (Secondary schools are only located in small towns like Diouloulou, Bignona, Oussouye…) to study in those towns and in Ziguinchor. Some adults leave their villages to work in the tourist facilities in Cap Skiring and Kafountine, or in public transport (taxis, coaches…). The tourist season is at its height between Christmas and Easter, appealing to a whole bunch of pseudo-guides too. During the dry season, there are many religious feasts. Try not to drive at that time for the feasts cause an intense exchange between the town and the villages: For Muslims: the KoritÈ which celebrates the end of Ramadan, the Tabaski, the Tamkharit (Muslim New Year when children dress up), the Magal of Touba. For Christians: Christmas, Shrove Tuesday when the carnival takes place around the Cathedral of Ziguinchor, Eastern which is the most important feast, the Ascension and the Whit Sunday when people gather in Elinkine. Of course, all those days are public holidays!