Very good write up Bamba... By the way, Yesemang Jobarteh (Affectionately
called Lieutenant Ceesay), I learnt was a great warrior, thus the the name
Lieutenant Ceesay (from Katosh war). In addition, Nfally Sanyang wrote
letters to Mr. Bachelor and Mr. Greg about Bakary Bajagar....
I enjoyed it!


The Last King of Foni


**

*History Corner:*

*Compiled and edited by Bamba Mass (UK)*

**

**

The history of Foni and its great ruler had been long forgotten by
historians even though this ruler was one of the most remarkable rulers of
the Gambia. When the history of Foni or the name of Foni comes to mind
today, it is remembered for all the wrong reasons. Being the
birth<http://www.gainako.com/news/news/2012/05/22/the-last-king-of-foni.html#>
place
of Yahya Jammeh or the Kombo/Foni wars or the Foni/Foday Kaba wars.

**

Historical accounts <http://kibaaro.com/?p=730> of the last two events have
for long been one sided, given
lesscredit<http://www.gainako.com/news/news/2012/05/22/the-last-king-of-foni.html#>
to
the mutual relationships enjoyed between the Jolas and Mandinkas for years.
Thanks to one king!



They said the bitterness between the Mandinkas and Jolas started when the
king of Kombo attacked the Fonis, and the Jolas united under one command of
Jakoi Nyassi, a very influential and brave general of *King* *Sebum* *Appai*
 of *Asil.* They fought the Kombonkas fearlessly and nearly defeated the
Farantambas, which forced the King of Kombo to send emissaries to Kaabu to
seek for help<http://www.gainako.com/news/news/2012/05/22/the-last-king-of-foni.html#>
from
Mansa (King) *Kele* *Mankato Ba Sanneh* king *of Kaabu*. They were assisted
by the generals from Kaabu and those from the the sub-kingdoms of Saama,
Kantora, and Tumana, part of the Kaabu Empire, to ensure the defeat of the
Foninkas.



Upon their defeat Jakai Nyassi and his troops fled Foni to Karoon, leaving
only few generals like Nyesen Jarju and Lako Tamba, who stayed to break
truce with the Kombonkas, in order that their leaders could come back and
retain their leadership of the remaining Jola tribe.

However, the aftermath of the war brought an unbreakable bonds between the
Mandinkas and Jolas to such an extend that these two tribes share the same
family names in the Gambia. Historians had it that most of the Nyanchos,
who came from Kaabu to support the Kombonkas, settled in *Bintang Karanai* in
Foni, which resulted in the Foni *Sannehs, Mannehs, Jammehs, Sanyangs, and
Sonkos among the Jolas*.  The *Manneh* are said to have settled in *Brefet*,
whilst the *Sanyangs* founded Batabut (which is now Batabut Kantora named
after its original founders). Some of them also found *Kalagi and Kinling*.
The great *Aung Sanneh* of Kassa Jembering was a direct descendant of *Kele
Mankato Ba Sanneh,* whose grandson married a beautiful Jola girl from Ala
kunda, becoming the mother of Aung’s father.



The Sanyangs were the first to settle their dispute<http://kibaaro.com/?p=730>
 with the Jolas and they agreed to form an alliance with Jakoi Nyassi, who
later married a daughter of the Sanyang clan and had four daughters with
one son, who was named Bakary Nyassi. This Bakary deserves much credit to
the relationship that ensued between the Mandinkas and the Jolas and
between the Jolas, Fulas and many other tribes in the Foni. Most historians
who studied the history of the Gambia might have at some point heard of his
name in their studies<http://www.gainako.com/news/news/2012/05/22/the-last-king-of-foni.html#>
.



At a tender age; his father, Jakoi, sent him to the capital of Kantora in *Sung
Kunda* to his uncles to learn military tactics. Due to his skills and
bravery, the ruler of Kantora, Manjang Ba Sanyang encouraged him to stay in
Kantora. He gave him the daughter of one of his brothers, *Fantumbung
Sanyang,* to marry. But Bakary wanted to return to Foni and after he learnt
of his Father’s illness, he swiftly left Kantora and hastened to Foni,
where he found the Sanyangs had become very influential and powerful.
Worried he might
run<http://www.gainako.com/news/news/2012/05/22/the-last-king-of-foni.html#>
into
trouble with them and because of his lack of trust for them, even though
his mother came from them, he did not see himself as a Sanyang and suspect
their taste to rule Foni when the chance arises. After the death of his
father, he was crowned King by the white colonial masters. He however left *
Kankuntu*, his father’s capital, to settle in the small enclave of *Bajakar;
* which is in the heart of the Jola settlement at the time.  For this
reason, *he became known affectionately known as Bakary Bajakar or Bajakar
Dembo*.



*Bajakar Dembo* strengthened his grip on power by maintaining the Jola
culture and tradition. He further married two wives: one from the powerful
Jola *tribe of Asil* (so as to keep the Jola unity) and the other a
mandinka girl Sata Sanyang, who was the daughter of one of the Mandinka
generals from the Fortress of Kantora, then part of the Kaabu kingdom. This
was a wise move by the King Bajakar in that whenever attacked by any of his
enemies; be it Jola or Mandinka, one of his wives’ clans would come to his
aide. He also sought the help of *Sheick Mafugi’s* son of *Sheick Amadou
Faal*, who came from Binako in Cassamance Senegal, to take his father’s
seat as Muslim head in *Darsilameh Sangajor*. In the days of King Bakary
Bajakar, one of his worst enemies inside Foni was *Nfally Sanyang;* a
powerful Jola warrior who wanted to rule the Jolas, as well. He was the
founder of the Foni village of *Kinling.* For that reason, he is
affectionately known as *Nfally Jeju of Kinling.* However after founding
Kinling, Nfally left the village to his little brother to settle in a
village called Batabutu. It was at Batabut, where he tried to create bad
blood between Bakary Bajakar and the white Governors, in order that Bakary
Bajakar can be removed for him to take over.



However, King *Bakary Bajakar* was a very lovable ruler, who had created
many good ties with his surrounding kingdoms of *Kiang* and Jarra in the
East and Kombo in the west. For that reason, when Foday Kaba had problems
with the white people concerning harboring murderers, who killed one of
their governors and *King Mansa Koto Sanyang* of *Bateling* in Kiang at the
*Battle of Sankandi*; he ran to Bajakar, where he wanted to use as a base
to defend his fortress at Madina (now in Cassamance), but Bajakar Dembo
refused him. Angry and disappointed, Foday attacked Bajakar, but *both
Kiang and Jarra came to the aid of Bajakar* to defend his fortress and
pushed Foday Kaba further into Cassamance even beyond his capital at Medina.



It was *Bajakar Dembo*, who also invited the family of *Yesemang
Jobarteh (*Affectionately
called Lieutenant Ceesay*)*from Niumi Bako (now in Senegal) to settle in
Foni. He allowed them to settle and rule Sibanor, which they did until 1994
coup; when Yahya Jammeh rudely and abruptly ended that long tradition. The
Jobartehs in Sibanor were rulers of Foni West up to Bulock, even though
their forefathers were from *Niani Kayai* Tato kono.



Bakary Bajakar will be well remembered for fostering one of the greatest
bonds between the Jola tribe and all other tribes in the Gambia to a point
that there is no Jola village or town in Foni today that has no Mandinka
speaking clan; even the* Wolof and Fulas* settled in Foni thanks to his
generosity. And as predicted by Sheick Mafugi and his son after him *Sheik
Amadou Faal*, most of Bajakar Dembo’s descendants rule Foni and became
chiefs and influential people. Former *Chief Arfang Nyassi* was his
descendant. The last of his direct descendants to become a ruler was *Alhagie
Momodou Lamin Nyassi,* who disappeared together with *Ndongo Mboob* and
other elders of Bwiam. Momodou lamin Syngle Nyassi (the Father of Sulayman
Nyassi)  is also a direct descendant. Now you may understand why Shyngle
remain a bond between the Mandinkas, even at the era when young Yahya
Jammeh wants to destroy the bonds created by his ancestors.



Bakary Bajakar’s legacy should be kept in the national archives of the
Gambia, as a real democrat who allowed the people of Foni total freedom and
allowed intermarriage with other tribes. Foni today thanks to his wise
leadership, proudly stands out as a multi cultural society in the Gambia.


¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤