Soninke communities in The Gambia and across the Diaspora recently converged in Basse to mark the 3rd International Soninke Language Day, following UNESCO’s proclamation of the day in October 2023.
International Soninke Language Day is celebrated annually on September 25 to honor, preserve, and promote the Soninke language and culture worldwide.
This year’s event held under the theme: ‘From Oral to Written: Making Soninke a Language of Production, Learning, and Creation in the 21st Century’, focused on education, intergenerational transmission, and leveraging digital technology to strengthen the presence and use of the Soninke language.
Delivering his remarks, Samba Bah, Governor of Upper River Region (URR), underscored the significance of the day, saying it offers the Serahule community a vital platform to celebrate its identity.
“Celebrating our language and culture is in line with our African values. In Africa, and in The Gambia in particular, we have ethnicity and we must cherish it,” Governor Bah said.
He stressed that promoting Soninke does not mean hatred for other languages, but rather affirming one’s roots.
“Most of our young people today are literate in English, French or Arabic. The question is, what can we do to ensure our culture and tradition are integrated into modern life? Promoting and integrating our language into present-day realities is very key,” he stated.
Governor Bah called for deliberate efforts to document the Soninke language and to integrate it into the national school curriculum for the benefit of younger generations, noting that the celebration also stands as a symbol of unity and solidarity.
For his part, Chairman of the Basse Area Council, Mahamadou Ceesay, described the recognition of Soninke as an international language as historic, noting that after Swahili, Soninke is the second African language to attain such global status.
“We are grateful to Allah for that. This year’s celebration is particularly important because we are moving from oral to written, and we want to use the language as a tool for credibility and production,” Ceesay said.
He said URR was a fitting host for this year’s edition, as it remains the original settlement of the majority of Sarahules before migration in search of trade, education and greener pastures.
Ceesay described the event as highly successful in terms of turnout and organization, adding that it embodied the very spirit of unity the celebration seeks to promote.
He commended President Adama Barrow for his support and thanked Sheriff Marie Tambadou, sponsor of this year’s event, for his generous contribution.
“This initiative will help popularize the language and encourage our own people to be architects of their own language,” he concluded.
The event attracted teachers, researchers, content creators, youth, and a cross section of the Soninke communities in The Gambia and beyond.
