Mauritania : " We want to create an international coordination Soninké " Cheikh Sidya Tandian
"We want to leave the festival, set up an international coordination Soninke ," said the president of the Mauritanian Association for the Advancement of Soninke language and culture. Cheikh Sidya Tandian answers questions Alakhbar 72 hours of the opening of the 3rd edition of the International Festival Soninke in Nouakchott.
Alakhbar : Which countries are participating in the festival ?
Cheikh Sidya Tandian : We Senegal, Mali , Niger , Côte d'Ivoire , Gambia and diasporas France , America , Spain and Egypt.
Alakhbar : A festival suffice it to the junction between the Soninke from outside and those in the diaspora ?
Cheikh Sidya Tandian : It certainly can not be sufficient given the challenges and prospects , but with the festive meeting we believe we can create a hard core of reflection that will continue the work.
Alakhbar : what distinguishes this third preceding ?
Cheikh Sidya Tandian : The first two editions were only festive gatherings. We met to discuss certain topics and parted without even taking notes. This time we want to leave the festival, set up an international coordination Soninke . This coordination will cover all the elements that we believe , including the creation of a foundation to continue excavations Coumbi Saleh who was the remnant of the Ghana Empire and the establishment of publishing houses and Research Soninkés . Unfortunately , Soninke are one of the people on which was written the least . We also believe that we had a lot of experiences to share with others, given our historical precedence , the place where we stayed with the Ghana Empire and woven with the outside since that time relations.
Alakhbar : You talk about anchoring Soninkés values ? . What are these values ? Cheikh Sidya Tandian : ? The Soninke , c is some one who learns to stand on its own , which does not rely on others ? . It may be too pretentious you would tell me , but Soninké ashamed that ? It is a thief , criminal , perjury or infidel . These are all those values that founded a little personality Soninke , which is that every time that a Soninké occurs, we say ? ? "These are serious people , hardworking people , etc. . " C ? Is ? Together so that these values ? Should anchor and sustain us. Alakhbar : In highlighting the identity Soninké not we risk widening the gap inter and delay the march towards the nation-state ? ? ? Cheikh Sidya Tandian : Your question pleases me doubly because I was referring to the empire of Ghana has been a model of structuring and organization as well as administrative , military, economic that ? ? ? . This set s ? Created and it s ? Perpetuated for centuries. And within this empire several communities coexisted peacefully . So we think that ? Experience Soninke Soninke this identity to which you refer , can serve as a model to further strengthen ties between communities. Alakhbar.info