Sédhiou (Wolof: Seéju) is a town of Senegal, in Casamance area, nearby the Casamance river, with a population of 31,511 in 2023.[1] It is the capital of the Sédhiou Region.
Sédhiou | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
  Sédhiou Location in Senegal | |
| Coordinates: 12°42′31″N 15°33′21″W / 12.70851°N 15.55583°W | |
| Country |  Senegal |
| Region | Sédhiou Region |
| Department | Sédhiou Department |
| Population (2023 census)[1] | |
| • Total | 31,511 |
History
editSedhiou was originally a Banyun settlement located at an important river crossing for trade caravans as well as the uppermost limit of the tidal flow of the Casamance. Upon the establishment of the Kaabu federation it became one of the state's constituent kingdoms, ruled by the Mandinka.[2]
The French established a military post at Sedhiou in 1838. Euro-African traders from Saint-Louis, Goree, and Bathurst increasingly competed with native merchants, creating tensions in surrounding communities. Muslim Mandinka allied with the Fula of Futa Jallon to attack the animist Mandinka of Sedhiou in 1843, imposing tribute on them, although the war continued for years.[2]
In 1861 Sedhiou became the seat of one of the first seven arrondissements of the French colony of Senegal.[3] In 1876 the marabout Fode Kaba raided the Balanta villages nearby, but was forced to withdraw by the French forces stationed in the town. His ally Sounkari, the chief of Bacoum, nevertheless continued the fight and unsuccessfully besieged the French fort in 1882. He was eventually defeated by Alfred Dodds in 1887.[4]
Sedhiou was the capital of colonial Casamance from 1883 to 1906, when it moved to Ziguinchor. The commune of Sedhiou is created in February 1960.[5]
Geography
edit
It is the capital of the Sédhiou Region.
Demographics
editIn 1983, 13,212 inhabitants lived in the town, rising to 18,465 in 2002. At the 2013 census Sédhiou had a population of 24,213.
Notable people
edit- Sadio Mané (born 1992), professional footballer who plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr FC and the Senegal national team.
Twin town
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Senegal: Regions, Major Cities, Urban Communes & Urban Agglomerations - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ a b Brooks, George (2009). "The "Battle of Kansala" (c.1864-1867)". Mande Studies. 9.
- ^ Arrêté du 28 décembre 1861, divise la colonie du Sénégal et dépendances en sept arrondissements
- ^ Roche, Christian (1971). "Portraits de chefs casamançais du XIXe siècle". Revue française d'histoire d'outre-mer. 58 (213): 453.
- ^ Loi 60.025 du 1er février 1960