Everything about Ziguinchor totally explained
Ziguinchor is the capital of the
Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the
Casamance area of
Senegal, lying at the mouth of the
Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000 (
2007 estimate). It is the second city of Senegal, but largely separated from the north of the country by
The Gambia.
History
The first European settlement in the area was founded by the
Portuguese in
1645. According to tradition, Ziguinchor's name and meaning comes from the time when Portuguese traders and explorers came to the region to form a trading post, and derives from
Portuguese Cheguei e choram, "I came and they cry". The local people, seeing the Europeans, began crying, thinking they were to be enslaved. Ziguinchor was in fact a
Slave port for much of the Portuguese occupation.
The spot hadn't been chosen at random. While a Jola village predated the town, it was situated to trade with the Jola kingdom of Kasso, which dated back to the
Mali Empire, when Mandinke people moved into the area from the south and east.
Following the end of the slave trade, Portuguese commerce stultified, and the town was eventually handed over to
France on
22 April 1888, in a deal brokered amongst the colonial powers at the
Berlin conference of 1886.
Under the French, Ziguinchor became a major trade port, mostly due to the intensive
Groundnut cultivation the colonial government encouraged in the interior. By 1900, the area around was largely converted to Christianity, although large
Syncretist and
Muslim communities flourish.
Rice growing, the traditional crop of the region, was hurt by the push to cultivate groundnuts, and extensive forest areas were cleared. The French government also imported rice across West Africa from the intensive farming they encouraged in
French Indochina, shrinking the market for Casamance's main produce.
After independence, the city saw its economic growth slow, in part due to the
War of Independence in neighboring
Guinea-Bissau. Portuguese military crossed into the area at least once, pursuing
PAIG rebels, and cannon fire could be heard in the city for much of the war. During this period Ziguinchor became a main post for both the
Senegalese Army and French forces, guarding the frontier; a frontier which cut in two
Diola families and communities.
As the capital of Casamance, Ziguinchor has been at the center of the three decade long conflict with Dakar, that has flared into open civil war on more than one occasion. With a population that's a majority
Diola and
Christian, the effects of a large migration of
Wolof Muslims fleeing drought in the north during the 1970s caused tensions to flare. A 1983 demonstration against price rises in Ziguinchor Market was put down violently by Senegalese forces, and an insurgency by the
Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) followed, effectively wrecking the economy of the region. The 2004 peace accords, signed in Ziguinchor, were hoped to be the end of the violence, but in 2006, sporadic fighting by an MFDC split and laying of land mines again erupted in rural areas nearby.
Transport and economy
Ziguinchor remains economically dependent on its role as a
cargo port, transport hub and
ferry terminal. The "Nationale 4" highway crosses the
Casamance River just east of the city, linking the region with
Bignona about 25km to the north, and (via
The Gambia), the rest of Senegal.
The
MV Joola, which sank in
2002, was sailing from Ziguinchor to
Dakar. It's sinking, only replaced in 2005, cut off the major major link between Casamance and the rest of the country. The new ferry, which began regular runs in 2007, is named for local anti-colonial martyr
Aline Sitoé Diatta, promises a boost to the local economy.
Facilities in the town include
markets, a
cathedral and an
airport. In February 2007, the new
Université de Ziguinchor opened in the city. It is also home to a large
peanut oil factory. A vibrant
tourist destination, the beaches of nearby
Cap Skirring were discovered by foreign tourists in the 1960s, and the location was bbuilt up to be come one of the first
Club Med resorts. Ziguinchor region is also known for growing great quantities of rice, oranges,
mangoes, bananas,
cashews, tropical fruits and vegetables, fish, and prawns, much of which are processed locally and exported from the city, its port, and its airport.
Ethnicity
Labelled the most cosmopolitan city in Senegal, Ziguinchor is a melting pot of all the ethnic groups co-existing in Senegal:
Manding,
Jola,
Wolof,
Peul/Hal Pulaar,
Mancagne,
Manjack,
Soninke,
Serer,
Bainounck and
Creole.
Jola have been the majority of the population in the region since at least 1500, and culturally share much with the people of
Guinea-Bissau. One of three dialects of
Guinea-Bissau Creole,
Cacheu–Ziguinchor, is centered around the city. Resistant to first
Islam and later
Christianity, many Jola retain a degree of animist practices, while
Basse Casamance is the only majority
Catholic area in
Senegal.
Famous residents
Ziguinchor is the birth place of some famous Senegalese writers and filmakers (
Sembene Ousmane), artists (
Doura Mane,
Bouly Sonko,
Ousmane Sow Huchard "Soleya Mama", the
Tourekunda brothers etc), sports men (
Jules Francois Bocande,
Bassirou NDiaye,
Lansana Coly etc).
Politics
Zinguinchor has been a stronghold of the Socialist Party of Senegal since independence. It's current mayor,
Robert Sagna, has been in office since 1984, and was a past minister in Socialist Party governments. In the beginning of 2007 Sanga left the PSS, and led the
Taku Défaraat Sénégal coalition in a failed presidential bid. In 2001's legislative elections, a big push by President
Abdoulaye Wade's ruling PDS party, spearheading the
Sopi coalition (joined in 2008 by
And-Jëf/Pads), was led by Zinguinchor politician
Abdoulaye Baldé, a former General Secretary to the President. In the 2001 elections, the a Zinguinchor
National Assembly seat was gained by the PDS, and held again in 2007, prompting speculation that Sagna and his party's days of dominating local politics were numbered. Sanga, though, won a legislative seat on proportional representation in 2007, and continues in both offices.
Africa Nations Cup
In 1992 Ziguinchor was one of the city-hosts of the
Africa Cup of Nations football championship. The city Sports and Arts Associations conceived for the first time the concept of having specific suburbs housing each national team in order to give a vibrant and joyful atmosphere to the Football tournament that saw Algeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Zambia, Egypt, Congo play the first half of the Championship in that city.
Sister cities
Ziguinchor has a
sister city, as designated by
Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)
:
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ziguinchor'.
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