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The western part of the Kedougou Kenieba Inlier is located in the West African Craton. It consists of paleoproterozoic NE-trending elongate belts (subprovinces) of metavolcanic and granitic rocks that alternate with metasedimentary belts. Major linear fault such as the MTZ which also approximate a north-easterly trend form the eastern boundaries. The field observations and geophysics analyses were completed by a microscopic study. Based on these data we define across this region four lithostructural domains from east to west. The western domain is structurally complex. The rocks of this domain have been subjected to a complex history of polyphase deformation and metamorphism. The structural analyse allow us to distinguished three deformation events. The deformation results in the formation of D1 thrust tectonic and D2 and D3 transcurrent tectonic. The structural evolution of the Mako Belt is characterized by deformation dominated by the intrusion of large TTG batholiths (D1) followed by basins formation and transpression accommodating oblique convergence and collision (D2 and D3). The change from thrusting (D1 deformation to transcurrent motion (D2 and D3) is recorded in the marginal basin of the central domain and in Tinkoto pull apart basin. The timing of these basins indicates a diachronous evolution. Deformation styles within the basin are compatible with a dextral transpression which terminated at ca 2090 Ma. Small extensional basins formed over the rocks of the Mako Belt are filled with continental detrital sedimentary rocks that show weak foliation and active felsic volcanism. We suggest that the sinistral transpressive tectonic associated with oblique subduction may have generated the pull-apart basin and subaqueous volcanism. In part these features are now related to terrain accretion, thrusting and strike slip movement during oblique convergence. The inversion of the large scale structural evolution from thrusting to strike slip is common to modern orogenies.

There is interest in exploiting and developing natural resources, particularly deposits of natural clays. Senegal has several clay mineral deposits for which chemical and mineralogical compositions have been little studied. Some of these natural materials are nowadays used in pottery and ceramics. To extend applications, a better basic knowledge is required and, for this objective, the raw clay and separated <2 μm clay fraction from Keur Saër (Senegal) were subjected to chemical and mineralogical studies. Several techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, cation exchange capacity (CEC) measurements and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have been used to characterize the material. It was found that the raw clay and the separated clay fraction consist of a mineral mixture in which kaolinite is the main component. 29Si and 27Al MAS-NMR spectra show the presence of silicon atoms linked to three other silicon atoms via an oxygen atom and six coordinated Al atoms. Significant increases in the specific surface area and cation exchange capacity were observed on purification, reaching a maximum of about 73.2 m2g–1 and 9.5 meq/100 g for the separated fine clay fraction while the values for the raw material were around 28.9 m2g–1 and 7.3 meq/100 g.

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