Travel Guide Oussouye

Oussouye, 45 km from Ziguinchor, is a small town of about 10,000 inhabitants, peaceful, surrounded by majestic cheese and mango trees. Built in the heart of the densest forest in Senegal, Oussouye is mysterious, surrounded by animist "sacred woods", heir to a rich history closely linked to that of the Diola kingdom. For Oussouye is the capital of the Kassa, ruled by the king of the Floups, Sibiloumbaye Diédhiou who has a great influence on seventeen villages in the region. It is one of the last still existing in Senegal. It has a counterpart, the king of Essoukoudiak, sovereign of the Kabrousse country of Guinea-Bissau, and there is a very old queen in Niomoune. At the beginning of the century, in 1903, King Sihalebe, captured by the French colonists, was transferred to Sedhiou. Considering this act a sacrilege, the king was not allowed to leave his territory and let himself starve to death. More than a century later, Oussouye has more than ever his king, an enigmatic fetishist, religious leader of his kingdom, who ensures social cohesion according to ancestral Diola traditions. However, there are many communities in Oussouye: Balantes, Mankagnes, Manjaks... In the kingdom of Oussouye, begging is forbidden. Mutual aid and hospitality are required, and the king must find solutions for the poorest families. He also regulates the cutting of trees, because Oussouye is surrounded by 19 sacred woods, where religious rites take place.