…Continuing from part one. The calls for help from the British authorities in Sierra Leone and the French in Senegal were heeded to, first by the French. They dispatched Commandant Louvel (Louvel Square in Banjul is in his honor) from Goree aboard the man-of-war Bordelaise. His task was to fortify the defenses of Bathurst. As… Continue reading The Barra War 1831-1832
In an earlier post I wrote generally about the school environment, a nostalgic reminder of days gone by, but mainly to point to the multiple factors that could be blamed for the poor performance of our children in schools. Teachers usually get the brunt of the blame, but that’s an incomplete picture if we are… Continue reading School Days – Teachers
Image: Fort Bullen at Barra Point In Social Studies class we were taught that “two drunken Mandinka soldiers mistakenly fired their guns” and so triggered the Barra War. Well, from the earlier post we highlighted a few crucial preludes as to the general mood in Niumi regarding the Europeans and the fact that “immediately after… Continue reading The Barra War Begins – 1831
Image: Mansa Maranta Sonko; sitting left flanked by Governor Llewelyn 1891 In 1823, in anticipation of a war with France, which was a real possibility at that time, Alexander Grant tested the largest guns on Bathurst and realized that the range was not sufficient to reach across the river. The French were already present in… Continue reading Burunghai Sonko and the Build Up to the Barra War
If we are to draw up a regional index for defiance and steadfastness of people holding on to their values, Kiang will rank very highly, if not at the very top, Just ask Yaya Jammeh. They seem to be the very embodiment of the mantra "kay yaa nee balang ta meng na, e bang wuleng… Continue reading Battle of Sankandi
Image: Musa Sanoba Dumbuya - Son of Foday Kabba Dumbuya Brief Background Foday Kaba Dumbuya was "a man destined to have a long and troublesome career" with the British colonizers. Much of his biography had been rendered and immortalized in oral tradition by our ever present Jali and their tradition. The tune that accompanies the… Continue reading Profile: Foday Kaba Dumbuya
We’ve heard much about the Soninke-Marabout wars that took place during the colonial era. More likely than not, we’ve been taught that they were religious wars aimed at forced conversions into Islam. The political component thereof is hardly ever mentioned, a closer look reveals more than just religious zealots ready to kill their kinfolk just… Continue reading Foday Kaba And The Soninke-Marabout Wars
Following the leakage of the hateful vitriol of a former sitting National Assembly member for Banjul Central (pictured) against the Mandinka; The Gambia’s largest ethnic group, the response and retaliatory remarks that ensued have been overwhelming. The raw emotions expressed in a lot of them are very much understandable and in many cases justifiable. Bigotry… Continue reading Are Mandinkas Victimized?
When I went to primary school (now called lower basic school); at some point I had to carry my own table and chair to sit on in the classroom. So was the case for the other pupils because there were no desks provided at certain levels. We did have school feeding though; warm milk and… Continue reading School Days
Mr. Chairman and Commissioners of the Constitutional Review Commission, As you are about to assume your roles of drafting the laws of The Gambia, laws that will hopefully last many decades to come with minimal if any amendments, I would like to add my piece to that effect. Laws and the rule of law are… Continue reading Open Letter To The CRC
Mankajang 