'Brainwashed' by France's rule

As Guinea celebrates 50 years of independence from France, the BBC is investigating the legacy of different colonial systems in Africa. The BBC's Tidiane Sy looks back at French rule in Senegal, which hosted the French West African colonial capital:

Octogenarian Mamour Ba grew up during colonial times.

We were so convinced that we were French Mamour Ba

Like many others who considered themselves privileged at the time, he went to a colonial school where pupils were, first of all, taught to become French and to consider France as the mother nation.

The old man still vividly remembers the day when the Germans entered Paris during World War II.

"We were so convinced that we were French that we could not understand nor accept that France could be defeated by Germany," Mr Ba says.

"That morning the headmaster, his name was Bill Apdon, came in and told us, his children, as he called us, that something very serious had happened - the Germans had entered Paris.

"Everybody started crying, everybody, everybody."

The mother country

Mr Ba likened the strong emotional reaction to what could today be called brainwashing.

AFRICA HAVE YOUR SAY

Colonial systems do not work in Africa due to poor administration brought about by nepotism, tribalism, greed and selfishness of successive government

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Before the war, a movie was shown to the young college goers telling them that the "Great France" could not be defeated.

Others also remember how school boys and girls of the time were taught history from an exclusively French perspective to make them admire and identify themselves with France, the mother country.

However there was a clear division between those born in the hinterland and those who were born in what were called the four communes - Dakar, Rufisque, Saint Louis and Goree.

These four old Senegalese cities hosted most of the colonial interests and infrastructure at the time.

Mamour Ba says he and his sister were city children, but he had four other siblings born in the countryside.

"My sister always used to tease our elder siblings: 'Mamour and I are French citizens. We cannot be forced to work for free!'"

'In a nutshell'

Contrary to Guinea, which abruptly severed its ties with France in 1958, Senegal won its independence two years later through a negotiated settlement.

This was an extension of the French territory." Historian Gane Mbengue

Nowadays, 48 years after independence, a younger generation of Senegalese historians see it as part of a thoroughly well-planned policy.

History professor Gane Mbengue outlined the French's strategy.

"French colonialism was conceived in a way so the Senegalese would identify themselves with the French," he said.

"This meant they wanted the Senegalese to become Frenchmen, with the full meaning of the word - they were supposed to speak the language, behave like the French, respect the rules, regulations and decrees that had been voted on and decided in France.

"Put in a nutshell, this was an extension of the French territory."

Explaining the existence of the four communes where local people could get full French citizenship, Mr Mbengue, said it was part of the divide and rule policy developed by France.

The idea behind it, he said, was to select a few and make them believe they were French.

By doing this, the French had local allies.

Then those local allies would defend France's interests, in the colony, while the vast majority of the country only served as manpower or soldiers during times of war, remaining second class citizens.

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Tune into the BBC World Service's Africa Have Your Say programme on Thursday 2 October at 1600 GMT to hear a discussion on colonial legacy in Africa.