By Dr Ebrima Ceesay
The first phase of the ongoing Senegal-Gambia Border Densification Exercise, being undertaken along the shared border between the neighbouring Casamance region of Senegal, is now winding down.
The exercise has so far focused particularly on the Foñi Brefet and Dimbaya areas, where survey teams have been working to identify, verify and strengthen the physical marking of the international boundary.
As part of this first phase, 20 old colonial-era boundary pillars have reportedly been located and identified. The discovery is considered significant because of the historical importance of the original Anglo-French boundary markers in establishing the physical demarcation of the Gambia-Senegal frontier.
According to historical records at the Gambia National Archives and University of Birmingham, the Anglo-French Boundary Commission erected 61 principal colonial boundary pillars in connection with the demarcation of the frontier in the early twentieth century.
These markers followed the boundary arrangements established under the 1889 Anglo-French Convention, with subsequent field demarcation and related boundary work taking place in the years that followed.
The original boundary pillars are understood to have served as the principal physical reference points along the frontier. According to the archival account, the original markers were constructed from cement and stone and did not contain structural iron. Their physical form and documented locations are therefore important in distinguishing them from later survey, geographical, district or other boundary markers that may have been installed subsequently.
It is important, however, that the identification of any particular pillar as an original colonial boundary pillar should be based not merely on its appearance or its location in the bush, but also on historical records, pillar numbers, survey coordinates, boundary maps and other documentary evidence.
The historical demarcation of the Gambia-Senegal boundary was not a one-off exercise. Following the original Anglo-French arrangements, further field surveys and boundary work were undertaken at different periods, including additional demarcation activity in 1911 and 1925. There were also later adjustments and boundary-related work, including the 1976 agreement between the two neighbouring countries concerning parts of the eastern section of the boundary.
This distinction is particularly important when discussing densification. The principal historical boundary monuments establish key reference points along the frontier, while subsequent densification involves the placement or identification of additional markers between, or in relation to, established boundary points to make the boundary more readily identifiable on the ground.
The current exercise is therefore significant not only because of the number of old pillars being rediscovered, but also because it provides an opportunity for the two countries to compare existing physical markers with their historical documentation and to establish a more complete and reliable record of the boundary.
The historical record confirms that the demarcation of the Gambia-Senegal boundary involved joint Anglo-French work, just as the contemporary process is being undertaken through cooperation between The Gambia and Senegal. Historical sources also record subsequent boundary missions and revisions, demonstrating that boundary demarcation and maintenance have continued through successive periods.
The findings from this first phase are expected to be compiled into a report for consideration by the Governments of The Gambia and Senegal. The report is expected to document the pillars and other boundary markers identified during the exercise and provide recommendations for the next stages of the joint demarcation and densification process.
The recovery and verification of the 20 old pillars therefore represents an important development in the ongoing effort to preserve the historical record of the boundary and strengthen the physical identification of the shared international frontier between The Gambia and Senegal.