Juffure

Juffure belonged to the Mandinka trading landscape of Niumi on the northern side of the Gambia River. African merchants there dealt with Europeans who maintained establishments on the river and its banks. Nearby San Domingo supplied fresh water to James Island and provided a meeting place for African and European traders. The mainland communities therefore sustained commercial relationships extending beyond the island fort itself.

Albreda, next to Juffure, was rented to French traders in 1681 and became their trading station. Along with San Domingo it served as an outlet for Niumi's commerce and for long-distance routes reaching the interior. Juffure's Mandinka traders formed part of this cluster of settlements, where different European companies sought access through local African counterparts. The district's Atlantic commerce included the slave trade, linking the riverbank communities to the coercive movement of people as well as the exchange of merchandise.