Famara Sane

Ahoune SANE and the province of Fogny in the 19th century Famara Sane

We call Fogny all the part of Lower Casamance located north of the said river. It includes the provinces of Jigut or Boulouf, Bliis-Karon, Kombo, Naran, Kalounaye, Djiiragone and Kajamoutaye. It is in fact the whole of the current department of Bignona and part of the north-west of the region of Sédhiou. It straddles the Middle and Lower Casamance. The population of Fogny is composed of Diola, who constitute the overwhelming majority and predominate in all the provinces, of Baynouk, who are found in the province of Kalounaye where they have entrenched themselves following the arrival of Diola immigrants in search of land from the north, centre and east; and finally of Manding who came from the east of the southeast. The years 1850-1900 were marked in the Fogny by infiltration attempts by foreign populations and penetration by French colonizers. In fact, "Chased towards the west, the Manding gained the Middle Casamance, and settled as conquerors in the old Baynouk villages, after having exterminated or reduced to slavery the populations, at least those who refused to be assimilated and to adhere to Islam".