Ziguinchor, commercial crossroads from yesterday to today

Ziguinchor, a commercial hub, marks the meeting point in the Baïnounck region where Portuguese, French, English, and African traders from the southern rivers converged, leading to temporary or permanent population movements. These migrations, between Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and The Gambia, involve the Manjack, Akou, Sarakolé, and Casamance peoples, driven by historical, economic, and sociological factors. They reflect the behaviors of these peoples in the face of socio-economic challenges linked to the early days of the rubber and peanut industries, and later to the development of mango, orange, and cashew plantations in the Casamance region. Trade encouraged the pursuit of fortune, whether locally, within Senegal, or in the West. The sources used (archives, books, and articles in Portuguese, French, and English) justify the use of a qualitative method. Our documentation illustrates these peoples' quest for material well-being, their entrepreneurial spirit, and their propensity to migrate.