Life and History Of Jola people from West Africa.
Life and History Of Jola people from West Africa.
The Jola are a heterogenous ethnic group found in Senegal,🇬🇲The Gambia, and 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau. They comprise 10% of the population in The Gambia and 6% of the population in Senegal.
In The Gambia they are concentrated in the Foni area of southwest The Gambia; hence, another name for them is Jola-Foni. In Senegal they are concentrated in the southern region of Casamance.
The Casamance region is separated from the rest of Senegal by the territory of the former British colony of The Gambia.
Jola people have long claimed that they are marginalized by their government that is dominated by ethnic Wolof, a majority group in Senegal.
In 1982, a few years after Senegal obtained independence from France, Jola people, who form the majority in Casamance, rose up against their government demanding independence from Senegal on the basis that they were isolated geographically from Senegal proper.
Since then, there have been sporadic fights between the rebel movement in the Jola homeland and the government of Senegal.
