An Account on Alfa Yaaya, Moodi Ajibu And Abudu Njayi (NCAC_RDD_TAPE_0018A)

Alfa Yaya

When the whites (French) came to Alfa Yaya’s kingdom, while he was in Kardeh. They asked him to meet their leader in Conakry under the pretext of taking him away to France.  He agreed and went to meet him.  Before this happened, Alfa Yaya was well advised, not to fight the white men.  During the meeting on the ship that was docked at Conakry, the French had a plan to take Alfa Yaya away.  They sailed the ship away without his notice and took him to Paris to prevent him from being a hindrance to their activities in the Fouta kingdom.  The French were also informed about Alfa Yaya’s son Modi Agibou, who was assumed to be more dangerous than his father. He was also taken away to Bordeaux in France. They later moved Alfa Yaya to Dahomey where he was kept up to the time of his death. Modi Agibou was also held there until the First World War in 1914.    When the war started, Agibou requested to join them in the war. But he also asked to be released to return to Fouta after the war ended. After joining the army during the war, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant.  After the war, he was sent back to Fouta. They took him through Conakry and to Labe. When he arrived, he was identified by one of the elders. Later, he and was taken to a town called Fula Mori to stay for some months before his leadership could be discussed.  Shortly after his arrival in Fula Mori, Modi Agibou died of stomach upset.

References to entities made in the recording

 Language:  Mandinka and translated into Wolof

Persons:  Alfa Yaya and Modi Agibou

Relationships:  Modi Agibou was Alfa Yaya’s son

Places: Kardeh, Conakry, France, Bordeaux, France, Dahomey, Labe and Fula Mori

Movements: None

Actions:  Alfa Yaya was deceived in Conakry and taken away to France

Modi Agibou was also taken away to Bordeaux

Modi Agibou was poisoned at Fula Mori and he died

Time references: During the First World War - 1914 and after the war.

Additional information: Modi Agibou became a Lieutenant in the French Army during the first world war.

History of Abdou Njai king of Woy

Abdou Njai’s success came from a man called Kekoto Fatty from Badibou Salikenne Kuntankoto in the Gambia.

Kekoto was a trader, trading fabrics from Kajor in Senegal to the “Black Land”, that is Casamance and Guinea Bissau. 

Kekoto met Abdou Njai in Kajor on one of his business trips.  Abdou was not a Saloum Wolof, but he was a Kajor Wolof commonly known as Kajor-Kajor.  They became friends and Kekoto took Abdou to Woy.  While in Woy, Abdou was visited by a colleague called Ibra.  Ibra told Kekoto that he was the praise singer of Abdou who is among the nobles.  Kekoto told him to stay with them and he would regard both of them as his children.

While in Woy, one day Abdou Njai told Kekoto Fatty that he wanted him to retire from work because he was growing older, and he promised to take care of him for the rest of his life.

Kekoto was told by Sherriff Yunus that, he was caring for Abdou, but he would later become King and who would care for him.

References to entities made in the recording

Culture:  Saloum Wolof, Kajor Wolof (Kajor-kajor)

Language:  Mandinka and translated into Wolof

Persons:  Kekoto Fatty, Abdou Njai, Ibra and Sheriff Yunus

Relationships:

Abdou Njai was Kekoto Fatty’s friend and adopted child

Ibra was Abou Njai’s praise singer and friend

Places:  Badibou Salikenne Kuntankoto, Kajor Senegal, Casamance, Saloum and Woy

Movements: Abdou Njai moved from Kajor to Woy

Kekoto Fatty moved from Badibou to Woy

Actions:  None

Time references: None

Additional information:  Casamance and Guinea Bissau were referred to as “Black land”

^{Alternative names: Alpha, Yaya, Yahya, Modi, Abdu, Abdou, Fatty, Diaye, Ndiaye, N'Diaye, Njie, Njai, Mansour}