Sikasso
Encyclopedia
Sikasso is a city in the south of Mali
and the capital of the Sikasso Region
. With 130,700 residents, Sikasso recently passed Ségou
to become Mali's second-largest city.
, 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) north of Côte d'Ivoire
, and 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of Burkina Faso
, Sikasso acts as a crossroads between the coastal countries (Togo
, Bénin
, Ghana
, Côte d'Ivoire
) and the landlocked Mali and Burkina Faso. Sikasso's ethnic groups include the Bamana, the Senufo
(mainly the Supyire), the Bobo
(or Bobo Fing, lit. 'black Bobo'), and the Minianka (Mamara Senufo).
Sikasso has abundant agriculture. Sikasso's fruit and vegetable production guarantees the city's self-sufficiency, sparing it from reliance on international food aid.
, whose mother came from Sikasso, became King of the Kénédougou Empire
and moved its capital there. He established his palace on the sacred Mamelon
hill (now home to a water tower
) and constructed a tata or fortifying wall
to defend against the attacks of both the Dyula
conqueror Samori Ture
and the French
colonial
army. The city withstood a long siege from 1887 to 1888 but fell to the French
in 1898; rather than surrender to the colonial army, Tieba's brother Babemba Traoré
, who had succeeded him as king, committed suicide, honoring the famous Bamanankan saying "Saya ka fisa ni maloya ye" (literally: death is preferable to shame).
Attractions today include the large market
, Mamelon hill, the remains of Tieba Traoré's tata, and the nearby Missirikoro Grotto. The festival Triangle du balafon takes place every June, celebrating the traditional Malian instrument
.
Sikasso's sister city is Brive-la-Gaillarde, France
.
, Nongo-Souala, Pimperna, Sanzana, Sikasso, Soukourani-Missirikoro, Tella, Tiankadi, Waténi, Zanferebougou, Zangaradougou and Zanièna.
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
and the capital of the Sikasso Region
Sikasso Region
Sikasso is the southern-most region of Mali. The capital city of the same name is the 3rd-largest city and is growing rapidly due to people fleeing the violence in Côte d'Ivoire to the south. Major ethnic groups include the Senoufo, known for masks and reverence for animals, the Samago, known for...
. With 130,700 residents, Sikasso recently passed Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
to become Mali's second-largest city.
Geography
Located 375 kilometres (233 mi) southeast of BamakoBamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) north of Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, and 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, Sikasso acts as a crossroads between the coastal countries (Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
, Bénin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
) and the landlocked Mali and Burkina Faso. Sikasso's ethnic groups include the Bamana, the Senufo
Senufo
The Senufo are an ethnolinguistic group composed of diverse subgroups of Gur-speaking people living in an area spanning from southern Mali and the extreme western corner of Burkina Faso to Katiola in Côte d'Ivoire. One group, the Nafana, is found in north-western Ghana...
(mainly the Supyire), the Bobo
Bobo people
The Bobo are an ethnic group living in Burkina Faso although the area occupied by the Bobo extends north into Mali. In much of the literature on African art the group that lives in the area of Bobo-Dioulasso is called Bobo-Fing, literally 'black Bobo.' These people call themselves Bobo, and they...
(or Bobo Fing, lit. 'black Bobo'), and the Minianka (Mamara Senufo).
Sikasso has abundant agriculture. Sikasso's fruit and vegetable production guarantees the city's self-sufficiency, sparing it from reliance on international food aid.
History
Sikasso was founded at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Mansa Douala. The town was a small village until 1876 when Tieba TraoréTieba Traoré
Tieba Traoré was a king of the Kénédougou Empire who reigned from 1876 until his death in 1893. Son of the previous king, Mansa Douala, Traoré moved the Empire's capital to Sikasso, building a palace on the city's Mamelon hill...
, whose mother came from Sikasso, became King of the Kénédougou Empire
Kénédougou Empire
The Kénédougou Kingdom, also referred to as the Kenedugu Kingdom, was a pre-colonial West African state established in the southern portion of present-day Mali.-Traoré Dynasty:...
and moved its capital there. He established his palace on the sacred Mamelon
Mamelon
A mamelon is a French name for a breast shaped hillock. At the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimea War the French called a strategic hillock the Mamelon...
hill (now home to a water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
) and constructed a tata or fortifying wall
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
to defend against the attacks of both the Dyula
Dyula
The Dyula are a Mande ethnic group inhabiting several West African countries, including the Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau....
conqueror Samori Ture
Samori
Samory Toure was the founder of the Wassoulou Empire, an Islamic state that resisted French rule in West Africa from 1882 until his capture in 1898.-Early life and career:...
and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
army. The city withstood a long siege from 1887 to 1888 but fell to the French
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
in 1898; rather than surrender to the colonial army, Tieba's brother Babemba Traoré
Babemba Traoré
Babemba Traoré was a king of the Kénédougou Empire. Following the 1893 death of his brother Tieba Traoré, Babemba assumed the Kénédougou throne. The capital, Sikasso, was beset at this time by both the Dyula forces of Samory Touré and by the rapidly advancing French colonial army...
, who had succeeded him as king, committed suicide, honoring the famous Bamanankan saying "Saya ka fisa ni maloya ye" (literally: death is preferable to shame).
Attractions today include the large market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
, Mamelon hill, the remains of Tieba Traoré's tata, and the nearby Missirikoro Grotto. The festival Triangle du balafon takes place every June, celebrating the traditional Malian instrument
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
.
Sikasso's sister city is Brive-la-Gaillarde, France
Brive-la-Gaillarde
Brive-la-Gaillarde is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Corrèze department. The population of the urban area was 89,260 as of 1999. Although it is by far the biggest commune in Corrèze, the capital is Tulle.-History:...
.
Cercle
The Cercle of Sikasso includes the communes of Benkadi, Blendio, Dandéresso, Dembella, Dialakoro, Diomaténé, Dogoni, Doumanaba, Fama, Farakala, Finkolo Ganadougou, Finkolo-Sikasso, Gongasso, Kabarasso, Kaboila, Kafouzela, Kapala, Kapolondougou, Kignan, Klela, Kofan, Kolokoba, Koumankou, Kouoro, Kourouma, Lobougoula, Miniko, Miria, Missirikoro, N Tjikouna, Natien, NienaNiena
Niena is a village and rural commune of Mali, in the Cercle and region of Sikasso. Niena is located 133 km from Bougouni and 78 km from Sikasso, on the highway that links Bamako to Sikasso and Côte d’Ivoire....
, Nongo-Souala, Pimperna, Sanzana, Sikasso, Soukourani-Missirikoro, Tella, Tiankadi, Waténi, Zanferebougou, Zangaradougou and Zanièna.
External links
- Portions of this article were translated from French language Wikipedia's Sikasso.
- L'économie locale de Sikasso, Mali. Ecoloc - Gérer l'économie localement en Afrique - Evaluation et prospective, Volume 1, Number 2, Décembre 2002, pp. 1-18 (18).
- Sikasso: "Experience Mali" Travel site, Ministere de L'artisanat et du Tourisme, Mali.