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11/5/1961 - Senegalese Background by David Hapgood

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DH November Senegalese Background B P Dakar Senegal Mr Richard H Solte Institute Current World Affairs Madison Avenue Sew York N Yo De Mr Nol Here major factors background country which spending months Senegal population about square miles western Sudanese climate stretches across Africa south Sahara Most country savannah eight months other months Most Senegalese belong Sudanese ethnic groups savannah The Wolofs largest ethnic groups their language forgive lingua franca Senegal Seventy percent Senegalese Moslem arabized North African sense Senegal boundaries those Afr states artificial lines drawn partly convenience onial administration partly fortunes imperial petition The southern province Casamance little nation forest savannah people related those Guineas rather other Senegalese And cutting right through middle Senegal British riverbank colony 6ambial onial gerrymander Gambiats people their economy distinguishable those Senegal What happens Gambia after government interesting problems African unity The Senegalese economy follows familiar colonial dependence single export Senegal peanut produces percent nationts export earnings Peanuts oversupply world market given amount peanuts goods Senegal import But being least Senegal sheltered world market France peanut above world market price Though Senegal ricultural country Rice staple imported Industry located mostly around Dakar produces percent national income Dakar special place French imperial history It gateway French West Africa DII government boomed French started investing heartily after II Most French Africa below Sahara under effective French little century French coast Senegal middle Century There class Senegalese residents Dakar three other coastal towns received French izenship century before Senegal French West Africa attending French schools since considered themselves other Africans uniquely influenced French But Senegal under French until great conquest second Cen So Senegalese historian working colonial African civilization interview grandmother years before French And thirty woman recall stories grandfather Moslem chief about defeat French Dakar central position under French proved mixed blessing since breakup French Africa balkanization resented Africans In France divided French Africa population 20000000 eight countries having population Dakar great little Vienna after World I Grandiose government buildings installations railroad nowhere university large nation present needs hothouse urban economy heavily dependent France Senegal heritage breakup West Africa aftermath In Senegal promoted Mali Federation French Sudan Mali federation collapsed after moaths Thus country perhaps unity relatively politics Vest Africa irony Senegal recent history Senegal breeding ground negritude cultural movement started generation sought assert African personality response French ideal assimilation creating black Frenchmen The leader movement course LeopoId Sedar Senghor philo sopher philol professor politicianho President Senegal Lfrican personality negritude asserts Recently Senghor defined sense community sense Rhytlun living keeping The average members Senegalese govern Senghor cabinet ministers VT Dakar Bako cpital Mali whichh closed border since Federation collapsed years Not certainly African terms older seems For political social changed dizzying speed twenty years It yesterday after colonial Africa seemed eternal years difference revolutionary difference climate opinion opportunity which Senegalese politician raised This particularly French educated elite which ministers belong There outside cabinet important politically ministers educated elite IJut I think point still valid The office their eventual cessors divided logically three generations those arrived political awareness before watershed World War II those between transition pendence those coming since independence By classification members cabinet except borderline cases belong prewar geera tiOno Senghor oldest Prime Minister Mama Dia In generation formed independence distant dream politics operated framework French educated Africans scarce business government except teaching Senghor earned liing professor France Dia school teacher superintendent The cabinet includes other teachers 1awyers doctors rinarians labor lealer bureaucrat journalist The generation about 35years formed independence became first issue imminent prospect finally This change urban population boomed oppor tunities opened government became easier education This generation educated started politics under French could increasing clarity French their The opposition Senghor government members generation In opposition nationts known intellectuals after Senghor himself geographer Assane Seck jailed recently historians Abdou Ly Cheikh Anta Diop This generation holds upper middle government One hears group grumbling againstthe government important clear thoug_h political issues educated elite divided gener ations The generation course coming under different circumstnceso The opening their political DH independence Political issues fought between Af ricans between Africans Frenchmen A university training increasingly easier perhaps offer comparatively reward As education Africanized content elite different perspective their heritage Already opportunities opening faster business government For these reasons politics generation forecast colonial Africa In looking background elite struck almost unbelievably difficult education through Take example holds government He Wolof Moslem Fom seven started school fifteen daily routinez A M light father coffee sweep breakfast Koranic school French school evening Koranic school child devout Moslem family French education three languages three cultures alien At spoke Volofo In Koranic school memorized transcribed Koran Arabic children without understanding words speaking writing language alien rigid culture In French school standards curriculum exactly those France right history famous opening Nos ancetres Gaulbis confronted third language second alphabet rigid alien culture To still touher promotion French system competitive examination times minority African students admitted level So succeeded bring grace family upper fraction class fricans through today Our children Compara tively perhaps least competition fierce there schools But today child still Koranic school still through three cultures It tempting speculate effects upbringing David Hapgood Received New York November