Us at the colonial border! RF stands for republique francais - on the other side it says RP republique Portuguese
Espoir, Christy, Samba, Instructor
Today we hiked to Salikegne about 5k from Temento Samba. It is a busy town right on the border with Guinea Bissau. The morning hike was lovely before the sun got too hot and we saw some lovely birds and the rice fields at their dry state since it is now the dry season. We spoke with Sana, a friend of Sambas who told us of the struggle for Guinea’s independence. He currently works with an association that aims to bring people together from Senegal and Guinea Bissau to collaborate for shared economic prosperity and development. He used to work for Guinea Bissau’s independent forces even though he’s Senegalese! The areas we went to included what used to be Portuguese colonial Guinea Bissau, and are now a part of Senegal. We saw the “borne” or stone that delineates RF republique francais and RP republique portugais. You can’t see us on the road outside Salikegne which acts as the unofficial border to Guinea Bissau, but to officially cross you must continue to the customs office in the next town further down the road.
Overall it was a powerful experience to learn about this border and how it’s location and the different colonial regimes as well as independence timelines have interacted with this place and the people that live here. Nowadays, people frequently come into Senegal from Guinea Bissau to go to school and Senegalese people frequently farm in Guinea Bissau. The border has divided families and caused harm. Now, people like Sana are using different mediums like radio to bring the communities on either side back together in the hopes of creating a more collaborative and collectively positive future.
Our group at the (unofficial) border of Guinea in Salikegne!!
A group photo in Kolda.