WAMIP member Madame Dieynaba Sidibé, President of the National Directorate of Women in Livestock (DINFEL), attended a conference at the sub-region level in order to discuss the recent reluctance of sheep breeders to embark on the annual traditional journey to Dakar in preparation for the Islamic Tabaski Celebration.
Photo from Madame Dieynaba Sidibé
For a Muslim family living in Senegal, Ladoum sheep are both highly valued and integral to the celebration of Eid Al-Adha, or Tabaski, in the traditional sacrifice of the ram. This ceremony is performed to commemorate Ibrahim’s willingness to follow God’s order to sacrifice his beloved son Ismail who, when saved from the knife, was replaced on the altar with a ram. Every year, Muslims around the world celebrate Tabaski to honor this sentiment.
Many sheep breeders and herders in West Africa rely greatly on the sale of the sheep during this important time. However, due to recent civil unrest and economic crisis in the usually-stable West African country, sheep breeders from neighboring regions like Mauritania are reluctant to make the journey to Dakar in order to sell their sheep for Tabaski.
The spread of fearful sentiments about this crisis in recent media has influenced breeders’ decisions to forgo this important journey. Subsequently, the livelihood of sheep breeders who rely on this market is under threat due to the lack of safety assurances for themselves and their animals during this crucial market exchange. Breeders often view this period as a time of action to take inventory and sell their sheep for profit in the capital city of Dakar, however the welfare of both breeder and animal are now suffering due to this halt.
Madame Dieynaba Sidibé called for action in the form of security assurance to breeders and support for the flow of sheep to Dakar during this important time. Denouncing the spread of negative media, Madame Sidibé is supported by the Nomadic Women’s Network of Mauritania in calling for more action in order to protect the livelihood of pastoralists, as well as the traditions of all peoples in this region.
Yaya Ka, a sheep herder at one of Senegal’s largest sheep markets, gathering Ladoum sheep into a truck two weeks before the Eid al-Adha holiday, known as Tabaski in Senegal. Credit…Ricci Shryock for The New York Times