Ségou (French pronunciation: [seɡu] ; Bambara : ߛߋߜ߭ߎ߫, Segu) is a town and an urban commune in south-central Mali that lies 235 kilometres (146 mi) northeast of Bamako on the right bank of the River Niger. The town is the capital of the Ségou Cercle and the Ségou Region. With 130,690 inhabitants in 2009, it is the fifth-largest town in Mali.
In the middle of the 19th century there were four villages with the name of Ségou spread out over a distance of around 12 km (7.5 mi) along the right bank of the river. They were, starting from the most upstream, Ségou-Koro (Old Ségou), Ségou-Bougou, Ségou-Koura (New Ségou) and Ségou-Sikoro. The present town is on the site of Ségou-Sikoro. [3] [4]
Ségou has contested origins. Some claim that the word Ségou come from "Sikoro", meaning to the foot of a shea butter tree. Others argue that it was named after Cheikou, a marabout who founded the city, while still other theories support the claim that Ségou was founded by the Bozo fishermen coming from the north in the 4th century, who established their villages along the Niger River. The 11th century CE saw an influx of the Soninke people, who were trying to escape from the collapse of the Ghana Empire, with Mandinka populations following.[ citation needed ]
Around 1650 Kaladian Coulibaly overthrew the ruling Koita dynasty and established a powerful if short-lived kingdom with Ségou-Koro as capital. [5] [6]
One of Koulibaly's great-grandsons, Mamary Coulibaly, also known as Bitòn, became the chief of his tòn, an association of men, sometime after 1700. By 1712, Bitòn had used his military strength to displace local elders and expand the Bambara Empire. In the subsequent decades, he expanded its territory to encompass regional commerce centers such as Macina and Djenné. The city of Timbuktu would become a tributary state to Bitòn's Bambara Empire. [7] At this time Segou was capital of the Bambara Empire, [8] [9] and a distinct urban architecture began to emerge at Ségou Koro, including mosques. [7]
After Bitòn's death in 1755 a period of instability followed, during which the capital of the Empire moved repeatedly. [6] [10] In 1766 Ngolo Diarra, a former slave and warrior, took control the Bambara Empire and inaugurated a period of prosperity. The Diarra dynasty ruled Ségou until the mid-19th century. [5] [7] He moved the kingdom's capital from Segou-Koro to Ségou-Sikoro, close to the site of the current city. [6]
Mungo Park, passing through Segou in 1797 recorded a testament to the Empire's prosperity:
The view of this extensive city, the numerous canoes on the river, the crowded population, and the cultivated state of the surrounding countryside, formed altogether a prospect of civilization and magnificence that I little expected to find in the bosom of Africa. [11]
On March 10, 1861, the Muslim Toucouleur leader, El Hadj Oumar Tall, conquered the town. [8] [12] [13] Under his rule, the prominent military architect Samba Ndiaye rebuilt some of the town's defenses. [14] On his death in 1864, he was succeeded by his son Ahmadu Tall, who dealt repeatedly with rebellions and challenges from his brothers. [15] After years of tensions and conflict, Segou was conquered by the French when forces led by Colonel Louis Archinard entered the town on April 6, 1890. [12] [16]
France attempted indirectly ruling Ségou until March 13, 1893, when they incorporated the town as the capital of a local cercle . [12] Ségou continued to serve as a regional commercial center throughout French rule. [12]
Ségou is situated 235 kilometres (146 mi) from Bamako, on the right bank of the Niger River. [12] The urban commune is bordered to the east by the commune of Pelengana, to the west by the commune of Sébougou and to the south by the commune of Sakoïba. [12]
The commune is subdivided into 15 quartiers: Alamissani, Angoulême, Bagadadji, Bougoufié, Comatex, Dar Salam, Hamdallaye, Médine, Mission Catholique, Missira, Ségou Coura, Sido Soninkoura, Somono, Sokalakono, Bananissabakoro. [17]
Ségou has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The city is irrigated by two important waterways: the Niger and the Bani River. Ségou has two seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season starts in June and lasts about four months until September. Ségou's dry season includes a relatively mild period followed by a period of sweltering heat. The average yearly rainfall is about 640 millimetres or 25 inches. The harmattan is the dominant wind in the dry season and it blows from north to south. The monsoon blowing from south to north-west is frequent during rainy season (hivernage).
Climate data for Segou (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | — | — | — | — | 45.5 (113.9) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45.5 (113.9) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.3 (91.9) | 36.5 (97.7) | 39.6 (103.3) | 41.4 (106.5) | 40.8 (105.4) | 37.8 (100.0) | 33.9 (93.0) | 32.1 (89.8) | 33.4 (92.1) | 36.5 (97.7) | 37.3 (99.1) | 34.6 (94.3) | 36.4 (97.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.3 (77.5) | 28.2 (82.8) | 31.5 (88.7) | 34.0 (93.2) | 34.1 (93.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 28.9 (84.0) | 27.6 (81.7) | 28.4 (83.1) | 30.1 (86.2) | 29.0 (84.2) | 26.2 (79.2) | 29.6 (85.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) | 19.8 (67.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 26.6 (79.9) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.0 (78.8) | 24.0 (75.2) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.5 (74.3) | 20.6 (69.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 22.8 (73.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 2.2 (0.09) | 0.2 (0.01) | 1.5 (0.06) | 4.9 (0.19) | 31.5 (1.24) | 89.4 (3.52) | 175.7 (6.92) | 220.7 (8.69) | 110.4 (4.35) | 20.9 (0.82) | 0.8 (0.03) | 0.0 (0.0) | 658.2 (25.92) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 8.3 | 12.7 | 16.1 | 10.7 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 57 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 281.2 | 256.1 | 275.1 | 253.1 | 264.4 | 253.9 | 248.7 | 231.0 | 241.5 | 272.4 | 264.8 | 271.7 | 3,113.9 |
Source: NOAA (sun, 1961-1990) [18] [19] |
As of the 2009 Mali Census, Ségou has a population of 130,690, up from 105,305 in 1998. [8] A 2007 estimate put the city's population at 118,814. [17]
The population of the Ségou Region is largely rural, and nomadic semi-sedentary or sedentary. The population consists of many ethnic groups, such as Bambara, Bozo, Fulani, Soninke, Malinke and Toucouleur.
The town of Ségou itself is home to a variety of ethnic groups, including the Malinke, the Soninke, the Fulani, and the Toucouleur, due to its complex history and status as a regional commercial center. [20]
Bambaras are mostly farmers and are the most numerous ethnic group.[ citation needed ] Their language is Bambara or Djoula.[ citation needed ] The Bozos are the second most populous ethnic group.[ citation needed ] They typically live near the shore of the Niger river, in small towns of small houses.[ citation needed ] The Bozo economy is based on fishing.[ citation needed ] Bozo people have a monopoly on the transport system because of their knowledge of the Niger, its shallows and seasonal lakes, and are regarded as the masters of water.[ citation needed ] The Somono , a group known to specialize in fishing and boating, are largely concentrated in Ségou and its surroundings. [21] The Malinké/Mandinka/Manink a are closely related to Bambaras: They share costumes, religious beliefs, and practices with the Bambaras.[ citation needed ] The Marka, Saracollé or Soninke are merchants and warriors.[ citation needed ] The Soninke people are great travelers and Muslims, and have largely conserved their traditions.[ citation needed ]
The Bambaras used to transmit their knowledge by oral tradition, hence much of their art and culture is unknown. Ségou's cultural heritage includes traditional musical instruments, wonderful griots, folkloric groups and the traditional masks and marionettes. The history of the Bambara state's traditional religious practices are ambiguous. They practice animism and fetishism as cultural practices, and also totemic and monism (cult of ancestors). The most famous Ségou handcrafts are based on pottery, weaving (blankets, wrappers and carpets), manufacturing of Bogolan (a distinctive variation of Mud cloth), painting and sculpture. Ségou is also regarded as the capital of Malian pottery with a large pottery district in Kalabougou situated on the left bank. Women make the pottery by hand with the clay coming from the Niger River and bring the finished works to the local Monday market.[ citation needed ]
The most well-known festival in Ségou is the annual Festival sur le Niger (Festival on the Niger). [22] This festival celebrates music and the arts and culture of the Bambara people, and includes the Caravane culturelle de la paix since 2013. [23] The 16th edition of the festival took place in 2019, when for the first time it combined with Ségou' Art, a contemporary art fair. [24] The two festivals continue to be combined for the 2023 event, which takes place over six days in early February. [25] [23]
The University of Ségou was founded in 2009. As of 2008, Ségou has 13 kindergartens, 33 primary schools, 17 secondary schools, and 40 madrasas. [12]
Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Muslim mosques. [26] There are also Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Diocese of Ségou (Catholic Church), Église Chrétienne Évangélique du Mali (Alliance World Fellowship), Assemblies of God.
Ségou has two architectural styles: French Colonial and traditional Sudanese and neo-Sudanese. The Sudanese style influenced public building and important residences. Monuments and great mosques are also built according to this style. Many of Sudano-Sahelian's kings built imposing palaces in the cities over which they ruled and most of these buildings are in red clay. The materials used for building are generally quite poor and many of the buildings need to be restored to maintain their state.
Today, Ségou is known for its pottery, its market and its fishing industry. Attractions in the old town of Ségou-Koro included a mosque, Coulibaly's tomb and an ancient tree. In the city center, the main landmark is the water tower.
The most important economic activities are fishing, cattle herding and small scale farming. Millet is the main crop in Ségou, with other major cereals including sorghum, and cowpea. [27] The main type of millet crop is rice pearl millet.[ citation needed ] Black-eyed peas are also grown.[ citation needed ] Crop yields in Ségou are generally low. [27] Common types of livestock in Ségou includes sheep, poultry, cattle, goats, and donkeys. [27] Both artisanal and commercial fishing are practiced in Ségou. [27] Men often do the fishing, while women usually market the fish. [27]
While most consumer goods are imported into Ségou, the city produces, and exports, handicraft and agricultural products. [28]
As of 2008, the town is served by two telecom operators: Ikatel and Sotelma. [29]
There are two factories processing cotton: Compagnie Malienne des Textiles (COMATEX) and Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile (CMDT). Commerce consists mostly of the small scale exchange and sale of products from the primary sector, sold weekly at the large Sudano-Sahelian market, drawing customers from far outside of the city. The main products sold are vegetables, pottery, cotton, leather, fruit, ovens, cattle and cereals.
The headquarters of the Office du Niger is based in the town. [8] The Office du Niger is a semi-autonomous government agency that administers a large irrigation scheme in the Ségou Region to the north of the Niger River. [30]
Ségou used to be served by Ségou Airport (IATA: SZU, ICAO: GASG). The airport lay south-west of the city center and is visible on old maps as well as satellite imagery. [31]
Notable people from Ségou include Adame Ba Konare, Fanta Damba, Garan Fabou Kouyate, Mountaga Tall, [32] and Bassekou Kouyate.
Maryse Condé's historical novel Segu tells the city's history from 1797 to its 1860 defeat by El Hajj Oumar Tall's army.
Ségou is twinned with:
The Bambara are a Mandé ethnic group native to much of West Africa, primarily southern Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Senegal. They have been associated with the historic Bambara Empire. Today, they make up the largest Mandé ethnic group in Mali, with 80% of the population speaking the Bambara language, regardless of ethnicity.
Mopti is the fifth administrative region of Mali, covering 79,017 km2. Its capital is the city of Mopti. During the 2012 Northern Mali conflict, the frontier between Southern Mali which is controlled by the central government and the rebel-held North ran through Mopti Region.
Koulikoro Region is a region in western Mali. It is the second administrative area of Mali and covers an area of 90,120 km2. Its capital is the city of Koulikoro.
Ségou Region is an administrative region in Mali, situated in the centre of the country with an area of 64,821 km2 (25,028 sq mi), around 5% of Mali. The region is bordered by Sikasso Region on the south, Tombouctou and Mopti on the east, Burkina Faso to the southeast and the Koulikoro Region to the west. In 2009 it had 2,336,255 inhabitants, making it the second most populous region of Mali. Its administrative capital is the town of Ségou.
Mali is a multilingual country of about 21.9 million people. The languages spoken there reflect ancient settlement patterns, migrations, and its long history. Ethnologue counts more than 80 languages. Of these, Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fula, Arabic, Kassonke, Maninke, Minyanka, Senufo, Songhay languages, Soninke and Tamasheq are official languages.
The Bamana Empire was one of the largest states of West Africa in the 18th century. Along with Kaarta it was one of the most important successors of the Songhai Empire. Based on an earlier kingdom established in 1640, it grew into a powerful empire in the early 18th century under Bitòn Coulibaly. The empire existed as a centralized state from 1712 until the 1861 invasion by the Toucouleur conqueror El Hadj Umar Tall.
San is an urban commune, town and capital of the Cercle of San in the Ségou Region of Mali. The town lies 10 kilometres or 6 miles south of the Bani River. In the 2009 census the commune had a population of 68,078.
The Soninke (Sarakolleh) people are a West African Mande-speaking ethnic group found in Mali, southern Mauritania, eastern Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea. They speak the Soninke language, also called the Serakhulle or Azer language, which is one of the Mande languages. Soninke people were the founders of the ancient empire of Ghana or Wagadou c. 200–1240 CE, Subgroups of Soninke include the Jakhanke, Maraka and Wangara. When the Ghana empire was destroyed, the resulting diaspora brought Soninkes to Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinée-Conakry, modern-day Republic of Ghana, Kano in Nigeria, and Guinea-Bissau where some of this trading diaspora was called Wangara, leading to the saying “when Americans landed on the moon, a Soninke was already there” in Senegal, with other versions across West Africa.
Hadji Oumarûl Foutiyou Tall, born in Futa Tooro, present-day Senegal, was a Senegalese Tijani sufi Toucouleur Islamic scholar and military commander who founded the short-lived Toucouleur Empire, which encompassed much of what is now Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea and Mali.
The Tukulor Empire (1861–1890) was an Islamic state in the mid-nineteenth century founded by Elhadj Oumar Foutiyou Tall of the Toucouleur people of Senegal.
The Caliphate of Hamdullahi, commonly known as the Massina empire, was an early nineteenth-century Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa centered in the Inner Niger Delta of what is now the Mopti and Ségou Regions of Mali. It was founded by Seku Amadu in 1818 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Bambara Empire and its allies at the Battle of Noukouma. By 1853, the empire had fallen into decline and was ultimately destroyed by Omar Saidou Tall of Toucouleur.
Ahmadou Sekou Tall was a Toucouleur ruler of the Toucouleur Empire (1864–93) and (Faama) of Ségou from 1864 to 1884.
Bitòn Coulibaly (1689?–1755), also known as Mamary Coulibaly, founded the Bambara Empire in what is now Mali's Ségou Region and Mopti Region.
Banamba is the capital of Banamba Cercle, one of the seven Cercles of the Koulikoro Region of Mali. Its estimated 2008 population is 7000. The town lies due north of the regional capital of Koulikoro, and is connected by a 40 km all-weather road via the town of Sirakorola, about halfway between the two. It is the location of the Lycée Franco-Arabe de Banamba.
Goundam is a commune and town in north central Mali, in the Tombouctou Region. It is the capital of Goundam Cercle, one of five subdivisions of the Region. In the 2009 census the commune had a population of 16,253. The main ethnic groups are Songhay, Tuareg and Fulani.
Articles related to Mali include:
The Battle of Ségou was a decisive point in the growth of the Toucouleur Empire (1850-1890), which spread throughout the upper Niger River and Senegal River bassins in the late 19th century. It marked the destruction of the last of the Songhay successor states, the beginning of El Hadj Umar Tall's conflict with fellow Fula Jihad leader of Macina, and a Toucouleur movement to the east under pressure from French Colonial expansion in the Senegambia.
Ségou Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Ségou Region of Mali. The administrative center (chef-lieu) is the town of Ségou.
Nyamina is a small town and rural commune in the Cercle of Koulikoro in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. The commune lies to the north of the Niger River and covers an area of 1,283 km2. It includes the town of Nyamina and 47 villages. In the 2009 census the commune had a population of 35,548. The town lies on the left bank of the river, 80 km northeast of Koulikoro.
Sansanding, sometimes called Sinsani, is a small town and rural commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. The commune includes the town and 17 of the surrounding villages in an area of 315 square kilometers. In the 2009 census it had a population of 23,109. The town sits on the left (north) bank of the River Niger about 50 km downstream from Ségou.