Ayérou

Ayérou lies on the Niger, where islands and riverbanks meet the dry plains of the Sahel. Its old settlement stands on an island, and its market draws farmers, herders and merchants from the surrounding country. Boats carry people and goods between the banks and islands. After his defeat by Askia Muhammad in 1493, the Songhai ruler Sunni Baru withdrew to Ayérou and established a smaller state there. It resisted the new ruler of Gao for several years before being conquered. The river settlement thus remained part of the political struggles that followed the change of dynasty in Songhai, as well as a meeting place for communities along the Niger.