Plague and Violence in Saint-Louis-du-Sénégal, 1917-1920

Abstract

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COVID-19 in Senegal

“…In attempting to prevent outbreaks initiated by returning pilgrims, the colonial government cemented itself as a hindrance and nuisance to the practice of Islam among the Senegalese. These examples exhibit why a plague outbreak in Saint Louis in 1917 resulted in significant physical and ideological conflict between the colonial administration and residents of peri-urban villages 15 ; historically during outbreaks of disease, the colonial government made little effort to preserve the rights and property of the original residents of French West Africa. Thus, even concessions by the public health authorities to apply diseasemitigating strategies in a relatively culturally sound manner were not accepted by village leaders who felt their communities were being unfairly targeted.…”

“…Thus, even concessions by the public health authorities to apply diseasemitigating strategies in a relatively culturally sound manner were not accepted by village leaders who felt their communities were being unfairly targeted. 15 The experience of various African people groups living in the Senegal region during the French imperial era was not a unique one; the International Sanitary Conventions and later the World Health Organization reinforced strategies that treated "colonial spaces and bodies" as threats to international trade and European health. 16 White argues that these policies, which maximized control of health threats originating in the colonies while understating the threat of outbreaks originating in Europe, can be explained by Said's Orientalism theory separating the "Occident" as superior to a mysterious and dangerous "Orient," justifying the application of extreme social control measures on the colonies.…”