Kédougou: Bassari, Bedik, Djalonké and Fulani

Selon la tradition, 11th century · Kédougou

In the far south-east of Senegal, the Kédougou region brings together several communities: the Bassari, the Bedik (or Tenda), the Djalonké and the Fulani. According to UNESCO, the Bassari, Fulani and Bedik settled in the region between the 11th and 19th centuries and developed their own cultures and habitats in harmony with their environment. According to tradition, the Bedik left the Dogon country, in present-day Mali, around the 11th century; the Bassari story is very similar: they too are said to have come from Mali through Guinea. Their villages, landscapes and living traditions are today the cultural wealth of the region, which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list as Bassari Country.

Sources

• UNESCO — Pays bassari : paysages culturels bassari, peul et bedik
• Persée — Notes sur l’ethnographie des Bedik (Journal de la Société des Africanistes, 1966)
• Persée — L’histoire des migrations bassari (Journal des Africanistes, 1977)
• Persée — Note sur l’origine de Kédougou (1965)

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