© Cahiers d'Études africaines 1. À cette différence près que la théorie de l'« acteur-réseau » (Actor-Network Theory) ne concerne pas seulement les êtres humains, mais également les objets

This article explores the relationship between cosmopolitanism and nationalism through the example of a transnational literature written in an African language, Pulaar, considered from a multi-located perspective. It seeks to understand to what extent a linguistically based transnational literary nationalism may be considered a form of “bottom-up cosmopolitanism” (Appadurai) that carries social aspirations. In the context of globalization, movements of linguistic revitalisation continue to grow and language has become a veritable tool for social action. This essay argues that, from a methodological standpoint, a more focused attention to the local and to translocal ties allows us to bring to light the connectivity of literature and its tendency to challenge institutionalized global literary geographies.

The Senegal River running through the arid and semi-arid parts of Senegal, Mauritania and Mali is of vital importance in this West African region. Multi-ethnic and multicultural populations have always been deeply dependent on its ecosystems and water for subsistence economies based on fishing, agriculture and livestock. Called the lifeline of the region, the Senegal River valley has experienced the earliest West African kingdoms as well as French colonization from 1624 onward, with the first French trading center at the river mouth remaining until independence in 1960. In hydrological terms, the Senegal River connects the humid upper parts of its valley with the drier basin area of its lower course, reflecting a strong climatological gradient that strongly affects biological and cultural diversity. After serious climatic changes, first apparent in 1968, that have devastated the entire valley, the riparian states of Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and later, Guinea, decided to join forces to master the availability of water and seek ways for rational and coordinated exploitation of natural resources. However, the river regulation infrastructure built (Manantali and Diama dams, dikes and other irrigation schemes) have had unforeseen environmental and socio-economical consequences along the Senegal River valley and the estuary. Among the impacts, salinization of soils, degradation of vegetation, the disappearance of native animal and plant species, diseases, the vanishing of some economic and socio-cultural activities and rural exodus, are the most important. Different protected areas have been created since the 1960s, all along the river, in part to reduce these negative impacts. However, the Senegal River currently remains a disturbed lifeline in the Sahel. Elements of the traditional cultural use of the river and respect for nature may contribute to the improvement of hydrological and hydro-agricultural schemes. Climate and hydrologySmaller tributary streams and rivers include Ferlo, Gorgol and Doué, as well as lake outflows of Lake Guiers in Senegal fed by the Ferlo River, and Lake R'Kiz in Mauritania. The Senegal River flows into the Atlantic Ocean south of the city of Saint-Louis. Each year, the river transports 22 billions m 3 of water past Bakel, considered to be the main reference station on the Senegal River due to its location below the confluence with the Faleme River, the last major tributary ( UNESCO-WWAP 2003).The atmospheric circulation in West Africa is determined by trade winds in the dry season and monsoon flows in the rainy season (fig. 5.2). All these atmospheric processes are governed by the Azores, Saint Helena high, the Saharan depression and the inter-tropical convergence zone. The monsoon winds are one of the necessary conditions for rainfall input (Nicholson 2013). However, the influence of oceanic and orographic factors are two elements to be considered in the evolution of temperatures, winds and precipitation.The average annual rainfall in the Senegal Basin is 550 mm, however there are large ...

Ce document a été généré automatiquement le 22 septembre 2020. Cahiers de littérature orale est mis à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Attribution-Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale-Partage dans les Mêmes Conditions 4.0 International.