Diembéreng: Forest, Wildlife and Bombolong

Forest Reserve and Nature in Diembéring

The Ecoparc de Casamance is located in the forest of Diembéring. Established in 2010 in southwestern Senegal, it is Senegal’s first privately managed forest reserve.

In 2015, a visitor loop with ecological trails was created and opened there across an area of 32 hectares. It was intended to showcase the wildlife and plant life of Casamance.

In Diembéring, visitors can discover the wildlife across several hundred hectares between bolongs, the ocean and the forest; ecological discovery tours are also available. The loop trail in the Ecoparc and Diembéring’s broader natural setting thus offer nature experiences on different scales.

Bombolong: Drums and Messages

A 2017 report noted that each of the seven neighborhoods had a Bombolong drum, which continued to announce messages to the villagers. Three types were distinguished by their sound: the Kawek, played by the lead drummer; the Seklou, the middle drum; and the Kamboumblon, the solo drum.

The report also describes coded messages understood by initiates, which often refer to the names of the deceased, their families and the history of their lineages. The drum types described therefore differ both in sound and in their respective roles.

In the wider destination of Ziguinchor

In the Kingdom of Bandial, in the Ziguinchor Region and Ziguinchor Department, an architectural form described as entirely unique in Africa emerged: the circular house with a central impluvium. In traditional impluvium houses, the rooms were arranged in a ring around a small central courtyard beneath a double-pitched roof. The funnel-shaped inner surface of the roof let in light and collected rainwater. This was caught in an earthen basin and drained outside through a buried palm-trunk pipe.

This architecture combines layout, lighting and rainwater collection in a single design. The central courtyard is not merely a space between the rooms arranged in a ring: the shape of the roof also directed light and water toward it.

The city of Ziguinchor has numerous historic buildings dating from the French and Portuguese periods. The Cathédrale Saint-Antoine de Padoue in Ziguinchor is listed among the region’s historic monuments. Visitors can also watch fishermen arriving in Ziguinchor; sampling local fruit juices on the river pontoons is one of the regular experiences. The King of Oussouye welcomes visitors in the Bois sacré; he always wears red and carries a straw broom as a symbol of his power.

COSAMA operates passenger and freight services on the Dakar–Ziguinchor sea route. If you are considering this route, check the current timetable in advance; schedules and operations may change.

Discover more destinations: Bignona, Elinkin.

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