Aline Sitoé Diatta
The Rebellious Queen of Casamance
This strong Casamance women was born between 1910 and 1920 in Kabrousse,
Casamance, a region mainly inhabited by the Diola people.
When her father dies, Aline is collected by her uncle Elaballin Diatta.
Due to very poor living conditions, the young woman about 18 years left his
native village to find work in Ziguinchor. But the grass is not greener, she
decides to leave for Dakar Casamance where a colon trader hired her as
domestic helper.
It is about 1941 that Aline receives his first revelations. A "voice" asked
her to return to his village to rescue his country and deliver settlers. The
voice said that if it fails in this duty, it will happen unfortunately.
Aline does not obey, and four days later, she found herself paralysed
awakening.
She finally asks what brings her back to Casamance, and upon his
arrival, paralysis leaves. However, and some say, Aline preserve the legacy
of this evil and all limp the rest of her life.
Slowly and without force, Aline feels like pressure to intervene against the
unjust actions of the settlers towards the Casamance population. It
encourages its people to disobey the settlers, encouraged him to not pay
taxes, to grow rice rather than peanuts, contrary to what the French want,
and not to join the French army.
Aline pushes her people to adopt a resistance by refusing culture of the
colonizer by returning to the sources of Casamance culture, she further
explained that its approach and message are not only personal but also
divine.
According to Aline, the homecoming should occur including the restoration of
the old "Diola weeks" of working five days and rest on the sixth day, and
the introduction of new ceremonies of sacrifice and prayers, ie a new form
of traditional religion is wanting.
A drought that hit the Casamance, the population that pays attention to
statements Aline only half decided to consult because it is time to prove
the truth of what it proclaims. If its really revelations come from God, it
should be able to act against this calamity.
Aline offers incantations to invite the rain to fall and sacrifices of black
oxen. Following these ceremonies, and to the astonishment of the people, the
rain begins to fall and the waters cover the dry rice fields.
There is no longer any doubt that Sitoé Diatta Aline is a true servant of
God.
Miracles do not stop there: Aline lay hands on the sick and healed them.
When visiting the sick and bedridden shake hands, just turn your back does
that patients get back on their feet.
His name does not take long to spread throughout the whole region and
delegations from afar to meet her.
Whatever their religion or ethnic group, the crowds who preaches Aline
homecoming are radically affected and actually turn to the traditions Aline
advocates.
The former King of Casamance is deceased, it is that people see a successor.
He needs someone with supernatural power, a person in constant direct
connection with God. Aline does not pray, she agrees to take over the
deceased King and becomes Queen of Casamance.
It is a pilgrimage we just see the Queen Aline Sitoé, asked advice and
assistance to the settlers face more imposing. These sense the danger coming
from afar and start looking for her. The administration seeks to imprison
for incitement to rebellion and disobedience'' to deal with the established
order.
The day when the French soldiers arrive in ambush to embark Aline, she is
full menstrual period.
But in Diola, it is a period of impurity and the woman must leave her room
to lie to another place reserved for the occasion. Aline is not there.
Soldiers who think she's hiding, begin to take over and manage among other
things to touch a woman they take to Aline Sitoé. According to sources, it
would be her co-wife.
The news of carnage coming to the ears of the Queen decides to go herself to
settlers so that other innocent people being killed because of it.
Aline Sitoé Diatta gets arrested May 8th 1943. Her husband is also arrested,
but she will find freedom years later.
As for our heroine, it will be swung from one prison to another, between
Senegal, Gambia and Mali.
In 1944 in a Prison in Timbuktu, she died of deprivation and torture. The
Queen would have fallen seriously ill and would simply refused to treat her
to see her go faster.
But what is really Aline Sitoé Diatta part?
Indeed, if this woman exemplary patriotism unsurpassed, if heroin from
Africa to the heart of love and courage known rest in peace in the land of
his ancestors, his soul certainly continues to live in the hearts of all
Casamance and all those who love black people. Aline Sitoé is for sure one
of our Queens and Heroines in Africa. Never forget ...