This is the story of empire and federated dynasties throughout the world. From Europe, to the Soviet republics (industrial dynasties), the Manchu and ming of China, to the Persian and Zoroastrian kingdoms (religious and tribal dynaties), South American and Somali dynasties. It was the industrial revolution and its resource management arrangements that expedited independences and the formation of the modern nation states with borders. Haruna.
Courtesy: Bamba Mass and Kibaaro news and radio.
THE LAST KING OF FONI
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History Corner with Editor 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 place of Yahya Jammeh or the Kombo/Foni wars or the
Foni/Foday Kaba wars.
Historical accounts of the last two events have for long been one
sided, given less credit 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 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 Kanlagi 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 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.
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 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 harbouring
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
dissapointed 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 Mafuji 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.
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Last King of Foni
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