Ségou (; , ) is a town and an urban commune in south-central Mali that lies northeast of Bamako on the right bank of the River Niger. The town is the capital of the Ségou Cercle and the Ségou Region. With 130,690 inhabitants in 2009, it is the fifth-largest town in Mali.

In the middle of the 19th century there were four villages with the name of Ségou spread out over a distance of around along the right bank of the river. They were, starting from the most upstream, Ségou-Koro (Old Ségou), Ségou-Bougou, Ségou-Koura (New Ségou) and Ségou-Sikoro. The present town is on the site of Ségou-Sikoro.

History

Origin

Ségou has contested origins. Some claim that the word Ségou come from "Sikoro", meaning to the foot of a shea butter tree. Others argue that it was named after Cheikou, a marabout who founded the city, while still other theories support the claim that Ségou was founded by the Bozo fishermen coming from the north in the 4th century, who established their villages along the Niger River. The 11th century CE saw an influx of the Soninke people, who were trying to escape from the collapse of the Ghana Empire, with Mandinka populations following.

left|thumbnail|250px|Tomb of [[Biton Mamary Coulibaly at Ségou-Koro]]

Bambara Empire

Around 1650 Kaladian Coulibaly overthrew the ruling Koita dynasty and established a powerful if short-lived kingdom with Ségou-Koro as capital.

One of Koulibaly's great-grandsons, Mamary Coulibaly, also known as Bitòn, became the chief of his tòn, an association of men, sometime after 1700. By 1712, Bitòn had used his military strength to displace local elders and expand the Bambara Empire. In the subsequent decades, he expanded its territory to encompass regional commerce centers such as Macina and Djenné. The city of Timbuktu would become a tributary state to Bitòn's Bambara Empire. and a distinct urban architecture began to emerge at Ségou Koro, including mosques.

After Bitòn's death in 1755 a period of instability followed, during which the capital of the Empire moved repeatedly.

thumb|250px|Entrance to the palace of [[Ahmadu Tall at Ségou-Sikoro in around 1866]]

Toucouleur Empire

thumb|Residence Palace of Ségou

On March 10, 1861, the Muslim Toucouleur leader, El Hadj Oumar Tall, conquered the town. After years of tensions and conflict, Segou was conquered by the French when forces led by Colonel Louis Archinard entered the town on April 6, 1890.

French colonial rule

France attempted indirectly ruling Ségou until March 13, 1893, when they incorporated the town as the capital of a local cercle. Ségou continued to serve as a regional commercial center throughout French rule.

thumb|left|A map of Segou Sikoro in 1860s

Geography

Location

Ségou is situated from Bamako, on the right bank of the Niger River. The urban commune is bordered to the east by the commune of Pelengana, to the west by the commune of Sébougou and to the south by the commune of Sakoïba.

The commune is subdivided into 15 quartiers: Alamissani, Angoulême, Bagadadji, Bougoufié, Comatex, Dar Salam, Hamdallaye, Médine, Mission Catholique, Missira, Ségou Coura, Sido Soninkoura, Somono, Sokalakono, Bananissabakoro.

Climate

Ségou has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The city is irrigated by two important waterways: the Niger and the Bani River. Ségou has two seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season starts in June and lasts about four months until September. Ségou's dry season includes a relatively mild period followed by a period of sweltering heat. The average yearly rainfall is about . The harmattan is the dominant wind in the dry season and it blows from north to south. The monsoon blowing from south to north-west is frequent during rainy season (hivernage).

Demography

As of the 2009 Mali Census, Ségou has a population of 130,690, up from 105,305 in 1998. This festival celebrates music and the arts and culture of the Bambara people, and includes the Caravane culturelle de la paix since 2013. The 16th edition of the festival took place in 2019, when for the first time it combined with Ségou' Art, a contemporary art fair. The two festivals continue to be combined for the 2023 event, which takes place over six days in early February. There are also Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Diocese of Ségou (Catholic Church), Église Chrétienne Évangélique du Mali (Alliance World Fellowship), Assemblies of God.

Architecture

Ségou has two architectural styles: French Colonial and traditional Sudanese and neo-Sudanese. The Sudanese style influenced public building and important residences. Monuments and great mosques are also built according to this style. Many of Sudano-Sahelian's kings built imposing palaces in the cities over which they ruled and most of these buildings are in red clay. The materials used for building are generally quite poor and many of the buildings need to be restored to maintain their state.

thumbnail|right|300px|The CMDT cotton processing plant near Ségou.

Economy

Today, Ségou is known for its pottery, its market and its fishing industry. Attractions in the old town of Ségou-Koro included a mosque, Coulibaly's tomb and an ancient tree. In the city center, the main landmark is the water tower.

The most important economic activities are fishing, cattle herding and small scale farming. Millet is the main crop in Ségou, with other major cereals including sorghum, and cowpea. The main type of millet crop is rice pearl millet. Black-eyed peas are also grown. Crop yields in Ségou are generally low. Common types of livestock in Ségou includes sheep, poultry, cattle, goats, and donkeys. Both artisanal and commercial fishing are practiced in Ségou. Men often do the fishing, while women usually market the fish.

While most consumer goods are imported into Ségou, the city produces, and exports, handicraft and agricultural products.

As of 2008, the town is served by two telecom operators: Ikatel and Sotelma.

There are two factories processing cotton: Compagnie Malienne des Textiles (COMATEX) and Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile (CMDT). Commerce consists mostly of the small scale exchange and sale of products from the primary sector, sold weekly at the large Sudano-Sahelian market, drawing customers from far outside of the city. The main products sold are vegetables, pottery, cotton, leather, fruit, ovens, cattle and cereals.

The headquarters of the Office du Niger is based in the town.

Notable residents

Notable people from Ségou include Adame Ba Konare, Fanta Damba, Garan Fabou Kouyate, Mountaga Tall, and Bassekou Kouyate.

Maryse Condé's historical novel Segu tells the city's history from 1797 to its 1860 defeat by El Hajj Oumar Tall's army.

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Ségou is twinned with:

  • Angoulême, France, since 1984.
  • Richmond, Virginia, United States.

See also

  • Bamana Empire: for the Ségou Empire
  • List of cities in Mali

References

Sources

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

Further reading

  • .
  • Ségou Tourist Office