Documents
Date: January 6, 1911
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Tivaouane cercle administrator Godel informs the Lieutenant Governor of Senegal that, in accordance with the Governor's instructions, he has had a parcel of land demarcated that might be granted to Buh Kunta. The letter is accompanied by a sketch outlining the projected property [p. 3]. Administrator Godel promises to follow up with proposals for the placement of a well.
Date: November 16, 1911
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In this letter, Deputy to the French Assembly Francois Carpot asks the Governor of Senegal to intervene on behalf of Buh Kunta's efforts to acquire some parcels of land. He notes that Governor General Ponty had already given his agreement but that Buh Kunta had been unable to take possession due to the opposition of administrator Godel.
Date: March 27, 1915
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This set of documents from a file titled "Inheritance of Bou Kounta 1914-1915" lists the estate of Buh Kunta inventoried and valued after his death in 1914. It includes properties in Saint-Louis, Rufisque, Dakar, Tivaouane, and Ndiassane; animals (including oxen and cows, donkeys, camels, horses, goats); cash; and rental income. One document specifies the division of the inheritance; another one indicates that Buh Kunta's three eldest sons - Bekaye Kunta, Abdurahmane Kunta & Sidy Lamin Kunta - agree to pay the workers assisting with the settlement 3% of what is left of the estate.
Date: July 3, 1990
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Document from El Haj Shaykh Buh Kunta (Cheikh Bou Kounta), Khalif General of the Quadiriyya order in Ndiassane, to Mrs. Bintu Jarra (Binetou Diarra) in Pikine, a suburb of Dakar, inviting all Qadiri disciples, relatives and Muslims, to participate in the activities of Mrs. Diarra's daaira (dahira). With blessings to all.
Date: February 1998
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Certificate of Merit provided to Shaykh Mussa Jaxate (Moussa Diakhate) by the Cheikhna Cheikh Saad Buh Foundation during the International Qadiriyya Conference held in Dakar from February 14-16, 1998.
Date: 2006
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Kunta spiritual genealogy and religious heritage. Top half of document shows the founder, Shaykh Buh Kunta, followed by the sons who succeeded him and their years in the khalifate. El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta, who became khalif on April 29, 2006, was the first of the grandsons to become khalif. The bottom half represents the spiritual chain that links the reigning khalif to the Kunta scholarly lineages of the Sahara desert down to the illustrious scholar and jurist Sidi Ahmed al-Bekkaï Kunta (d. 1514) and the earliest Kunta ancestor and, through him, to the family of the Prophet Mohamed. The second page is an Arabic version of the same document.
Interviews
Date: January 2007
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Interview with Buh Muhammed Kunta, also known as Buh Khalifa Kunta. Mr. Kunta speaks about the history of the Buh Kunta branch of the Qadiriyya covering the origins of Shaykh Buh Naama, Buh Kunta's father, and the circumstances surrounding his arrival and settlement in Senegal; Buh Kunta's background; religious education in Ndiassane, and relations with other Qadiriyya branches in Senegal and Mauritania. Interview in Wolof with French translation.
Date: January 2007
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Imam Sidy Omar Kunta explains who the different imams of Ndiassane were before him and points out that they do not come from only one family lineage, as is widely believed. He also speaks about the current mosque and the project of constructing a new, larger mosque. Interview in Wolof with translations in French and English.
Date: January 2007
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Shaykh Sidi Yakhya Kunta discusses his background, his knowledge about Buh Kunta, his role in preparations for the annual pilgrimage, and current concerns. Interview in Wolof with French translation.
Date: January 3, 2007
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El Haji Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta is the Khalif General of Ndiassane and Ndankh. In this video, he speaks about his religious education and religious education more generally; his activities before becoming khalif; relations with other religious leaders in Senegal; the history of the Kunta family and their role in the dissemination of Islam; Shaykh Buh Kunta; and relations with followers. Interview in Wolof; translations in French and English. French translation of video interview completed by Adrien Pouille and Moussa Thiao. English translation completed by Maria Grosz-Ngate and Moussa Thiao.
Date: January 5, 2007
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In this interview, Shaykh Bekkai Faal recounts how his father left his natal village of Dougabougou in the Segou region of Mali to settle in Ndiassane and become a follower of Buh Kunta. The father's family name was Coulibaly in Mali, which corresponds to the Wolof family name Faal in Senegal. Shaykh Faal explains that some therefore refer to him as Faal, others as Coulibaly. He also expands on life in Ndiassane; his family's relationship with the Kunta family; his mother's background; other Mande members of the community; and his own visit to, and involvement in, his father's village of origin.
Interview in the Bamana language; translation in French.
Date: August 2007
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Shaykh Mamadu Mbodj describes his activities as a member of the Buh Kunta Qadiriyya, especially as a singer. He speaks about the relationship between his home town of Bargny and Ndiassane and recalls the ziaara (pious visits) he and other followers made to Ndiassane when Sidy Lamin Kunta was khalif. Interview in Wolof with French translation.
Date: December 2007
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Second interview with Buh Muhammed Kunta, also known as Buh Khalifa. Mr. Kunta relates his religious and secular education, family connections with spiritual leaders in Mauritania and with the Kunta of Mali. He then elaborates on various topics such as Buh Kunta's commercial activities, the villages established by him, followers who were close to him, the annual pilgrimage, and the position of shaykh. Interview in Wolof with French translation.
Date: December 2007
Format: Sound/mp3
Professor Kunta reflects on his early years; his family, and especially his relationship with his grandfather and father; Cheikh Bou and the khalifs who succeeded him. He speaks about the cordial relations between Ndiassane, Tivaouane, and Touba and highlights the spiritual bond that existed between Khalif Sidi Lamin Kunta and Serigne Babacar Sy of Tivaouane. In addition, he discusses topics such as the importance of followers of Mande background and family connections with Mali; his responsibilities as the eldest son of the khalif; and contemporary concerns, including the education of girls. Audio interview in French with transcription.
Date: December 2007
Format: Sound/mp3
Shaykh Buh Njaay recalls the circumstances surrounding his birth that led his father to give him into the care of Buh Kunta as a young child. He recounts what he remembers about Buh Kunta, how he lived in his household, and his religious education. Interview in Wolof with French translation.
Date: August 2011
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Soxna Astou Kounta addresses several topics in this interview: her own education and that of women more generally; her role as an assistant to her father Khalif El Haj Mame Buh; and her concerns about youth unemployment. received a Koranic education and also went to a secular school. Interview in Wolof with translation in French.
Images
Date: 1900
Shaykh Saad Buh (ca. 1850-1917) receiving disciples, with period furniture and rug, ca. 1900.
Date: 1903
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Shaykh Sidiyya Baba (1862-1924) traveling in a camel caravan with his entourage, 1903.
He stands out by his white robes, signifying a Muslim scholar or marabout. The picture came from the Fonds Auguste Terrien at the Institut de France in Paris. It was supplied to David Robinson by Ghislaine Lydon and placed in his book, "Paths of Accommodation." Date: 1912
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El Haj Malik Sy, photographed in Tivaouane, ca. 1912.
Date: 1913
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Shaykh Amadu Bamba, photographed in Diourbel, 1913.
Date: January 2007
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Mr. Ahmed Bashir Kunta in his office at RTS, the Senegalese national radio and television station.
Date: 2007
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Mr. Buh Muhamed Kunta, known as Buh Khalifa, at his home in Parcelles Assainies, Dakar. Photo taken after interview.
Date: 2007
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Mr. Buh Khalifa Kunta with his children at his home in Parcelles Assainies, Dakar. Photo taken after interview.
Date: January 2007
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El Haj Mame Mamadu Kunta, sixth khalif and first of Shaykh Buh Kunta's grandsons to accede to the khalifate. Photographed after the interview with the authors and Mr. Makhtar Njaga Kone (in foreground).
Date: January 2007
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Khalif El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta, sixth khalif and first of Shaykh Buh Kunta's grandsons to acceded to the khalifat. Photographed after the interview with the authors.
Date: 2007
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Water retention basin constructed by Khalif Sidi Lamin Kunta.
Date: 2007
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Photo of Shaykh Buh Njaay in his home in Thiès, Senegal, taken after the interview with the authors.
Date: 2007
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Photo of Shaykh Buh Njaay in his home in Thiès, Senegal, taken after the interview with the authors.
Date: 2007
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Photo of Shaykh Buh Njaay in his home in Thiès, Senegal, taken after the interview with the authors.
Date: January 2007
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Shaykh Pape Malick Beye, director of one of the four Koranic schools in Ndiassane.
Date: January 5, 2007
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Shaykh Bekkai Faal during interview in Ndiassane. Faal is the Wolof equivalent of the Malian surname Coulibaly.
Date: April 7, 2007
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Mrs. Doussou Sangare and Mrs. Fatoumata Soucko, from the Hamdallaye neighborhood of Bamako, Mali. Photographed during the 2007 gàmmu in Ndiassane.
Date: August 2007
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Shaykh Mamadu Mbodj in his home in Bargny at the interview with the authors.
Date: December 2007
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Area on the outskirts of Ndiassane where, according to oral tradition, Shaykh Buh Kunta made springs erupt that greatly improved the agricultural potential.
Date: December 2007
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Fields on the outskirts of Ndiassane near the area of the former springs (
séanes). The photo shows how dry this area is between rainy seasons.
Date: December 2007
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Path on the outskirts of Ndiassane leading to the area where the springs (
séanes) had been located.
Date: December 2007
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Rock that is said to bear the imprint of the fingers of Shaykh Buh Kunta's hand along a path in the fields on the outskirts of Ndiassane.
Date: January 2008
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Cropped photo of the first khalif of Buh Kunta, Shaykh Buh al- Békkai. The full framed photo includes two other religious leaders who were obscured by the glare from the camera flash. Photographed in the home of Shaykh Mussa Diakhate, Rufisque, Senegal.
Date: January 2008
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El Haji Buh Kunta Jamm, named after Shaykh Buh Kunta, in his home in the Medina neighborhood of Dakar. Photographed after the interview with the authors.
Date: 2011
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Three photos showing the guest residence Khalif Sidi Lamin Kunta had constructed in Ndiassane to accommodate pilgrims. Images include the building facade, courtyard, and an internal hallway.
Date: 2011
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Partial view of the façade of a residence Khalif Sidi Lamin Kunta had constructed in Ndiassane to accommodate pilgrims. Photographed on a rainy day.
Date: 2011
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Interior courtyard of residence Khalif Sidi Lamin Kunta had constructed in Ndiassane to accommodate pilgrims. Photographed on a rainy day.
Date: 2011
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Interior hallway of residence Khalif Sidi Lamin Kunta had constructed in Ndiassane to accommodate pilgrims.
Date: August 2011
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Photo of Soxna Astuh Kunta in her room in the residence of Khalif El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta.
Date: 2012
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Gallery of images showing the area in and around Ndiassane...
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Framed photo of Khalif El Haj Mamadu Kunta (center), the third khalif, with Shaykh Mbacke (left), grandson of Shaykh Amadu Bamba, and son El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu (right). Photographed in room where Khalif El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta received the authors.
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Part of framed photo of El Haj Mamadu Kunta, third khalif of Ndiassane.
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Framed photo of El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta in his younger years, taken upon his return from Mecca. Photographed in the room of Khalif El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu where he received the authors.
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Framed photo of Khalif Shaykh Buh Mohamed Kunta, the fifth khalif and the last of Buh Kunta's sons who acceded to the khalifat. Shaykh Buh Mohamed is on the right; El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta, the khalif who succeeded Shaykh Buh Mohamed, is in the middle. Photographed in the room where the authors were received by Khalif El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu.
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Framed photo of Khalif Sidi Lamine Kounta in his later years. Photographed in the home of Shaykh Moussa Diakhate, Rufisque, Senegal. This image seems to be the only available photo of him as khalif.
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Framed photo of Shaykh Moussa Diakhate with Khalif Sidy Yakhya Kounta. Photographed in the home of Mr. Diakhate, Rufisque, Senegal.
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Photo taken by Paul Marty in Ndiassane in which he identifies the four eldest sons of Shaykh Buh Kunta. It is titled:
les fils et les principaux talibés de Bou Kounta, à Ndiassane
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Abd Er-Rahman. – 2. Bekkaï. – 3. Khalifa. – 4. Sidi Lamin.
Maps
Date: 2000
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This map shows the areas where El Haj Malik Sy travelled, taught, and spread the Tijaniyya Way between 1880 and 1920. He spent time in Saint Louis, Gandiole, and Ndiarnde before settling in Tivaouane in 1902. Located on the rail line to Saint Louis, Tivaouane was then the seat of the colonial administration for the Cayor region. It became the spiritual center for his followers and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.
Date: 2000
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This map shows the areas where the Fadiliyya Path had significant numbers of followers between 1880-1920. Saad Buh consolidated the network of his father Muhammad Fadil and established bases for the zawiya in Nimjat and Touizikht, Mauritania.
Date: 2000
This map shows the areas where Shaykh Amadu Bamba Mbacke attracted followers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Mbacke-Baol, Amadu Bamba laid the foundation for a religious and economic community in eastern Baol in the 1880s. He established the village of Touba at a site where he says that the archangel Gabriel appeared to him. Perceived as a threat to French interests, he was arrested by the colonial government in 1895 and sent into exile in Gabon. He was allowed to return to Senegal in 1902 but was arrested and deported again in 1903, this time to western Mauritania. Amadu Bamba's community of followers grew in his absence under the leadership of dedicated relatives and disciples. He received permission to settle in Cheyene (Jolof) in 1907 and then in Diourbel (Baol) in 1912. He was kept under house arrest in Diourbel until his death in 1927. Although Shaykh Bamba's repeated requests to move to nearby Touba were denied, he was buried in Touba. Touba became the spiritual capital of the Murids. Now one of the largest cities in Senegal, thousands of followers regularly come to pray in its vast mosque, constructed of imported marble, and the surrounding courtyard, tiled with travertine, and tens of thousands stream to Touba during the annual pilgrimage.
Date: 2000
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This map highlights the areas of Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia where Shaykh Sidiyya Baba, grandson of Sidiyya al-Kabir, had networks of followers. The spiritual center of the Sidiyya Path is in Boutilimit, Mauritania.
Newspaper clippings
Date: March 8, 1991
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Thiariack, a small village located in the department of Kaolack, held a ziaara to give thanks to Allah and to glorify the Prophet Mohamed and the "Saint of Baghdad" (Abdoul Khader Jeylani, founder of the Qadiriyya). The Khalif of Ndiassane, surrounded by his sons and followers, and government officials took part in this religious ritual that appears to be growing in importance. In the exchange of greetings, well wishes, and blessings, the Khalif and the minister who represented President Abdou Diouf both evoked the desire for peace in the Persion Gulf.
Date: February 7, 1993
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Brief article reporting on the upcoming pious visit to Khalif Shaykh Mame Buh Kunta of Ndiassane and the rituals scheduled to take place on this occasion. The pilgrimage is intended to mark the importance of the month preceding Ramadan as well as to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the death of Buh Kunta, the founder of Ndiassane. Thousands of pilgrims from as far as Mali are expected.
Date: September 1, 1994
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The article reports on the celebration of Mawulud, the "baptism" of the Prophet Mohamed, in Ndiassane the previous Friday. It notes that Ndiassane was too small for the thousands of faithful who had come from all over Senegal, from Mauritania, Mali, and elsewhere. Ahmed Bashir Kunta, the spokesman for the Khalif, recognized this in his welcome of the governmental delegation that had also come. He asked the head of the delegation to transmit the family's appreciation of the government's support to President Abdou Diouf and confirmed the Khalif's support of the President. In his address, the spokesperson of the delegation noted among other things that the secular and the religious authorities need to strive for a durable peace in Senegal. However, peace should not only be a concern for religious leaders but for all Senegalese, who also should pray to God. Khalif Buh Muhamed prayed in person for the President and for the [Tijaniyya] Khalif El Hadji Abdoul Aziz Sy and the [Murid] Khalif Serigne Saliou Mbacke. He thanked in the particular the regional governor for his logistical support of the "baptism" celebration.
Spokesman Bashir Kunta pointed out that Khalif Shaykh Buh Muhamed dedicates his life to the expansion of the Qadiriyya and that Qadiriyya groups are springing up in Europe, the United States, in Africa and the Maghreb, thus expanding the circle of the community. In the course of the night, Mr Bashir Kunta lectured to the audience assembled under the tent about the life and work of the Prophet Mohamed, the life trajectory of founder Buh Kunta, the activities of the current Khalif as well as about topics that ranged from divorce to the environment, human rights, and the protection of children.
Date: April 19, 2006
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The article focuses on the message conveyed by the government on the occasion of the annual pilgrimage celebrations in Ndiassane. Minister of the Interior Ousmane Ngom, who headed the delegation of national and regional officials, transmitted greetings and well-wishes from the head of state to the Khalif, and then addressed himself to all religious leaders, Muslim as well as Christian. He noted that they are educators, opinion leaders, and important intermediaries in the Senegalese social fabric and are well placed to remind Senegalese of their cultural and religious values. Thus, they are being asked to support the President of the Republic in his quest to make Senegal an emerging country by urging "our compatriots" to change their behavior in the right direction.
Date: May 2, 2006
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The article reports the passing of Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta, the 5th khalif of Ndiassane. It notes that in addition to the followers who streamed to Ndiassane as soon as the death became public, religious and secular dignitaries, including the head of state (President Wade), came to offer their condolences.
Date: May 2, 2006
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The article reports the passing of the Khalif Shaykh Buh Muhamed Kunta during the night from Saturday, April 29, to Sunday, April 30, after a long illness. The burial took place at 5am of the same day. 92 years of age, the late khalif acceded to the khalifate in 1987. The author notes that the oldest of the Khalifs General was appreciated for his wisdom, opennes, and discretion.
The article also reminds the reader of the long history of Islam in Senegal, its co-existence with Christianity as well as with animism. Ndiassane is a branch of the Qadiriyya, the oldest of the different Sufi orders represented in Senegal.
The author concludes by presenting the condolences of Babacar Toure, President of the Communications Group Sud and its staff, and by the new Khalif, his relatives and followers, a long life and good health.
Date: May 3, 2006
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This article reports the passing of Shaykh Buh Muhammed Kunta and his burial at 5am on April 30, 2006. It notes that the late khalif was the 5th khalif of the Kunta family and the last of the sons of founder Shaykh Buh Kunta to occupy the khalifate. Faithful from all parts of the country streamed to Ndiassane to pay their last respects. A sad event for the entire country, his departure also brought many Islamic leaders to Ndiassane, including Serigne Abdul Aziz Sy Jr. and Serigne Maudo Abdul Aziz as representatives of the Khalif General of the Tijaniyya, and Serigne Saliu Ture, the representative of the spiritual leader of the Murids in Thies. In funeral orations and condolences, the deceased was remembered as a distinguished scholar of Islamic thought.
Shaykh Buh's designated successor, El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu, will be the first of the founder's grandsons to become khalif.
Date: January 17, 2014
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Online article of January 17, 2014, with a photo of Khalif El Haj Mame Buh Mamadu Kunta. Reports that Mr. Ahmet Kunta, spokesperson and son of the Qadiri Khalif General of Ndiassane, revealed that a spring which first erupted in 1883 is again providing potable water after several years of drought. In an interview with APS, Mr. Kunta spoke about the response of the local population to the reappearance of the spring; the historical significance of the spring and its importance as a water supply; and the possibility of creating a borehole. The spring reappeared as the Kunta family is preparing for the annual pilgrimage, scheduled for the following Monday (January 20).
Video footages
Date: January 3, 2007
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Video footage of the mausoleum of Buh Kunta, shot January 2007.