Villages of Senegal

History

Archaeological investigation undertaken in Senegal has established that animal husbandry ad agriculture were practived in Senegal from the 2nd millennium BC. From that time more or less permanent groupings of habitations (that is to say, villages) have existed. The most studied are the ancient villages of the middle reaches of the Senegal River. Some sites, like Cubalel, were occupied throughout the 1st millennium CE.

Some written sources (Arabic and Portuguese), as well as information from the oral tradition, clarify the history of some individual villages, but much remains unknown.

The villages were long governed by customary law, incarnated in the village chiefs. The prerogatives of these chiefs were reduced as a result of French colonisation, which installed a new administrative structure, which was highly centralised and hierarchical. The village chief became the lowest layer of a pyramid headed by the Ministry of Overseas France, whose authority was exercised by the Governor General of French West Africa, the governor of Senegal, the heads of the regions and smaller areas (commandants of cercles and canton chiefs). Although their appointment had to be ratified by the governor, the village chiefs were not officially part of the colonial administration (hence their ambiguous position) but they were de facto responsible for the smooth running of their village. The census, the collection of taxes, and the transmission of information were part of their role.

The chiefs were almost always appointed from the local population and belonged to a family which traditionally held authority. However, the traditional power of the village chiefs was worn away little by little, along with their popularity, because they were increasingly seen as representatives of the coloniser. In addition, some of them used the profits from their position for their personal enrichment. These developments contributed to the development of a new elite, the marabouts, whose influence grew stronger in the countryside.

A judgement of the court of appeal in Dakar on 3 November 1934, recognised that the village had "a sort of customary civil personality." When Senegal became independent, the status of the village was enshrined by article 1 of law N° 60-015 of 13 January 1960. It was subsequently defined in the reform of 1972. The village was recognised as the lowest level administrative division.

Village

Decree N° 73-703 of 23 July 1973, promulgated by President Senghor, specifies the processes for the creation and organisation of villages.

A village groups several families or carrés in a single agglomeration, itself divided into quarters and sometimes into hamlets. Since part of the population of Senegal is not completely sedentary, it is accepted that some semi-permanent or semi-nomadic camps or groupings of families may be assimilated into villages.

The creation of a new village is accomplished in several stages. A rural council or departmental development committee can make a proposal, followed by an ordinance of the regional governor on the proposal of a prefect, which must finally be approved by the Minister of the Interior.

The directories of villages, updated after each census, are prepared by arrondissements. The most recently published lists are those issued after the general census of population and housing of 1988.

Village chiefs

The appointment, dismissal, and powers of village chiefs (French: chef de village) is defined by decree N° 96-228 of 26 March 1996, promulgated during the presidency of Abdou Diouf.

The appointment of a village chief requires the consultation of the heads of carrés, an ordinance of the prefect on the proposal of a sub-prefect, and approval by the Minister of the Interior. The village chief must also take an oath.

Candidates for the position must be Senegalese citizens, over 25 years of age, resident in the village and satisfy certain physical, moral and administrative criteria.

The village chief is the representative of administrative authority in the village. They ensure the enforcement of the law, police regulations, sanitary regulations, actions for development and environmental protection. They are involved in the census and maintains the vital records for the village. They are also in charge of tax collection.