Located in the Patim bush, in the east of the Kolda department, Dialambéré, the capital of a rural commune, is a village founded around 1900 by Habibou Koïta, a Sarakholé from the village of Djigui Maka in Mali. 42 km from Kolda city center and 3 km from the National Road 6 (RN6) leading to Tambacounda via Diaobé and Vélingara, this landlocked town is now looking for a paved road and a general education high school to fulfill its dual identity as a village and a communal capital.

Origins and diversity

Founded by Habibou Koïta after his expulsion from Dioulacolon by the Fulani, Dialambéré developed through inter-ethnic marriages, integrating Sarakholés, Fulani, Mandingo, Bambara, and Serer from the north. Close to Alpha Molo Baldé, a historical figure of Fouladou, Koïta established a village today organized into five large neighborhoods, each led by a notable, under the authority of a single chief, Maka Koïta, the 11th chief of the village. Entirely Muslim, the community has two mosques and a large mosque for Friday prayers, led by Imam Thierno Ahmadou Koïta.

Basic social infrastructure

Access to Dialambéré from the RN6 is via a bumpy 3 km track, impassable during the rainy season, exacerbating the isolation of the commune's 69 villages. Residents, supported by Younouss Koïta, a political leader of the AARIS party, are calling for the paving of this essential road. During a football tournament in Médina Koundié, won by ASC Jam Jam against ASC Avenir de Dialambéré, Koïta called on young people to get involved in local development and combat irregular migration. The village has a secure health post, but sometimes lacks pharmaceutical products and an ambulance suitable for medical evacuations. The commune has four health posts, four middle schools, and 14 elementary schools for its 69 villages. Faced with a high school dropout rate linked to early pregnancies and marriages, the population is calling for the creation of a high school to reduce the distances to access education. The municipal council has funded the fencing of a sports field, a venue for competitions for municipal teams.

Security and environmental challenges

Security is ensured by the Dabo gendarmerie station, 7 km away, making cattle theft rare. The locals, both herders and farmers, manage herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. To protect the surrounding forest, youth committees monitor excessive logging and illegal timber trafficking, an initiative supported by the village chief.

Political and cultural heritage

Dialambéré has marked the political history of Fouladou with figures such as Demba Koïta, the first mayor of Kolda in independent Senegal, Alpha Koïta, former president of the rural community of Bagadadji, and Bouna Koïta, the commune's first mayor. The village was once home to Alpha Molo Baldé's herd of war horses, adding a mythical dimension to its identity. Today, more than 15,000 inhabitants make Dialambéré one of the largest villages in Fouladou.