Diakhao ( Serer proper : Jaxaaw) is a small town and commune in the Fatick Region in the west of

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

History

Diakhao was the last capital of the pre-colonial Serer

Kingdom of Sine The Kingdom of Sine (or Siin in Serer, variations: ''Sin'' or ''Siine'') was a post-classical Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Toponymy and Demonym During the Guelowar Era the region was named a ...

. It has several sites classified as historical monuments. It houses the tombs of the Serer kings such as Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof (king of Sine), the tombs of the Guelowars, the

Lingeer Lingeer (also: ''Linger'' or Linguère) was the title given to the mother or sister of a king in the Serer kingdoms of Sine, Saloum, and previously the Kingdom of Baol; and the Wolof kingdoms of Cayor, Jolof, Baol and Waalo in pre-colonial S ...

s and the Kanger (or ''Kangeer'') baobab, a place of libation of the kings of Sine ( Maad a Sinig). In 1867 at the Surprise of Mbin o Ngor (a surprise attack against the Serers by the Muslim

marabout In the Muslim world, the marabout () is a Sayyid, descendant of Muhammad (Arabic: سـيّد, Romanization of Arabic, romanized: ''sayyid'' and ''sidi'' in the Maghreb) and a Islam, Muslim religious leader and teacher who historically had the f ...

which precipitated

the Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune (or Thiouthiogne), also known as the Battle of Somb or the Battle of Somb-Tioutioune, occurred on 18 July 1867.Sarr, Alioune. ''Histoire du Sine-Saloum.'' Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker ...

), Diakhao was burned to the ground by the marabouts. To rebuild his capital (Diakhao), Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak implemented new

tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

measures throughout the Sine. Although Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Famak had no problem collecting taxes in other areas of Sine, he failed in Joal, one of the principalities of Sine occupied by the French administration. For years he tried to exercise his authority in Joal. In August 1871, he went to Joal to deal with the French and exercise his authority in the area. He was assassinated.

Administration

Diakhao is a rural commune in the Department of Fatick (in Fatick Region).

Geography

The closest localities are Soror, Gadoguene, Ndidor, Tela, Maronem, Ngekor, Ndofene, Ndofane and Ndielem Farha.

Population

Diakhao, which is inhabited by the

Serer people The Serer people (''Serer language, Serer proper'': Seereer or Sereer) are a West African ethnoreligious groupGastellu, Jean-Marc, ''Petit traité de matrilinarité. L'accumulation dans deux sociétés rurales d'Afrique de l'Ouest'', Cahiers ORST ...

is one of the Serer countries. According to PEPAM (Programme d'eau potable et d'assainissement du Millénaire), the estimated population is 3429.Diakhao (in) PEPAM

References

External links