Comments on: La Francophonie again

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:21:14 +0000

I saw/met several Lebanese people in Dakar; we stayed in the Hotel Farid which is affiliated with an excellent restaurant across the street. We met a great number of French tourists in Dakar and even more of them in Saly-Portugal. Several of the restaurants we ate in appeared to be owned or run by ex-pat French people. In Thies where my daughter was teaching, we got quite a lot of attention for our white skin, especially from little kids. (toubab! toubab!)

By: François

François — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:15:17 +0000

Hi,

This is an interesting account of the local situation. You did not enroll into colonial,post-colonial arguments of any kind, from “critical assessment”, “retro-justifications” and the likes.

In view of the evolving situation, quite a number of French people would agree that a soundly run French-speaking African country is potentially a place where to dwell and work. Why not say a place to live? It is fair to say alas that not all Africa enjoys this stability.

Thanks for the feedback that comforts our gallic views. Well-run African countries potentially have an opportunity not held in centuries.

By: Joseph Dart

Joseph Dart — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:10:16 +0000

Never been to Senegal, but your description reminds me a lot of Madagascar. Though the situation’s a bit more unusual there — the bulk of the minority/expat communities are non-Francophone (mainly Chinese and Indians) aside from the French themselves, yet the prestige of the French language persists quite strongly.

Oddly enough, Wikipedia has articles on both the Chinese and Vietnamese communities in Senegal, but none on the Lebanese or French ones who are an order of magnitude larger — I guess I have to do my own research rather than being lazy about it …

By: ComingAnarchy.com » Not So Dark

ComingAnarchy.com » Not So Dark — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:49:12 +0000

[...] Fistful of Euros has an interesting collection of first impressions in a visit to Senegal, and takes not on how French it is. I would recommend reading the entire post in its entirety, but [...]

By: Douglas Muir

Douglas Muir — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:44:35 +0000

Um. I said the Casamance rebellion was regionalist rather than ethnic — true — and that it never got past the guerrillas-in-the-bush stage — also true.

I didn’t say a thing about Guinea Bissau.

I think you’re reacting to something that’s not in the post I wrote.

Doug M.

By: Africanist

Africanist — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:31:12 +0000

Looks like you have got “pregnant from your ears”.
So, Casamanse is just a little “regional affair” and the interference of France and Senegal in Guinea Bissau is not “imperialistic”, to say the least.
How nice!

By: jamie

jamie — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:14:40 +0000

Fascinating, what takes you to Senegal?
Indeed, what took you to even Burundi?