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The bases of humanitarian thought in the Pulaar society of Mauritania and Senegal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2010

Ly Djibril
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Extract

For the outside world, images of division, conflict and suffering today largely sum up the African continent. Even when these images do not reflect Afro-pessimistic cliches, they fail — deliberately or not — to take account of the secular traditions of respect for the individual and the enlightened humanity that exist virtually throughout Africa.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 38 , Issue 325 , December 1998 , pp. 643 - 653
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1998

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References

1 Diop, A.B., Sociéte toucouleur et migration, University of Dakar, IFAN, 1965, p. 15.Google Scholar

2 The idea can be translated as “a people has to be able to defend itself so that it can claim the right to be master of the place where it has made its home.”

3 Barry, Boubacar, Le royaume de Walo. Le Senegal avant la conquete, Paris, Karthala, 1985, p. 421.Google Scholar

4 See, Colliard, C.A., Institutions des relations internationales (8th edition), Paris, Dalloz, 1985, starting on p. 23.Google Scholar

5 See in particular Dupire, M., Organisation sociale des Peuls, Paris, Plon, 1970, p. 262 and elsewhere.Google Scholar

6 Robinson, David, The Holy War of Umar Tal — the western Sudan in the mid-nineteenth century, Oxford, Clarandon, 1985 Google Scholar . For example, the author mentions the marriage with Mariatu, who was sent from Nigeria as a sign of reconciliation.

7 See B. Barry, op. cit. (note 3), p. 83; see also Boilat, L'Abbé D., Esquisses sénégalaises, Paris, Karthala, 1984, starting on p. 398.Google Scholar

8 For details, see D. Robinson, op. cit. (note 6).

9 “This is what happened between Sheik Omar and Ahmed, son of Ahmed.”

10 “It is better to reign through dialogue than to rule by force.”

11 D. Robinson, op. cit. (note 6).

12 See Alexandre, P., Les africains. Initiation à une longue histoire et à de vieilles civilisations, de l'aube de l'humanité au début de la colonisation, Paris, Lidis, 1981, p. 267.Google Scholar

13 For the teaching related to the laws of war of Omar Tail's troops, see D. Robinson, op. cit. (note 6).

14 Diallo, Yolande, “Humanitarian law and traditional African law”, IRRC, No. 179, February 1976, pp. 57–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

15 A nineteenth-century French author wrote in this regard that the Haalpulaaren were proud of having outstripped [the Europeans] in reason, justice and humanity: Keledor, Histoire africaine, quoted by B. Barry, op. cit. (note 3), p. 195.

16 Interviews with Oumar Ba, a renowned Mauritanian sociologist.

17 This view is taken to extremes in certain circumstances. Samba Geleajo Jeegi, an eighteenth-century Pulaar prince, committed suicide by confiding to his consort the secret of his relative invulnerability in the various battles that he had successfully waged, despite the fact that he was convinced that his wife was going to use that information to kill him. In his final moments, he defended his action by stating that he should not refuse to reveal his secret for fear of being called a coward. So for him, “wataa wad maaya, hattaa kam wadde. Hadatami wadde tan ko wataa wad koyaa “ was important. This can be translated as “I would not refrain from doing such a thing out of fear of death, only if I had to be ashamed of it”. For the fascinating story of Samba Gallajo Jeegi, see Kane, O. “La tragique histoire de Samba Gellajo Jeegi qui regna sans avoir été sacré”, Afrique Histoire, No. 7, 1993, p. 60.Google Scholar

18 Singh, Nagendra, “Armed conflicts and humanitarian laws of ancient India” in Swinarski, C. (ed.), Studies and essays on international humanitarian law and Red Cross principles, in honour of Jean Pictet, Geneva/The Hague, International Committee of the Red Cross/Martinus Nijhoff, 1984, p. 535.Google Scholar

19 See l'Abbé D. Boilat, op. cit. (note 7), p. 398.

20 “One who is being chased and chooses to go to ground is no longer a combatant”.

21 Interviews with Oumar Ba.

22 “If you must become accustomed to something, become accustomed to peace. A person accustomed to peace cannot love violence”.

23 Quoted by B. Barry, op. cit. (note 3), starting on p. 194.

24 Quoted by D. Robinson, op. cit. (note 6).