Dagana

Dagana stands on the Senegal River in the kingdom of Waalo, where the river’s seasonal floods shape the surrounding lowlands. In 1819 the ruler of Waalo and his chiefs agreed with the French to the construction of a fort at Dagana, near the frontier with Toro. The post was built in 1821 as French merchants and officials sought to strengthen their position along the river. Waalo’s rulers remained central to the agreements governing this riverside country.