Senegal

The Lebou people of Senegal

Population: 150,000
Habitation: coasts of Senegal, especially around Dakar
Activities: mainly fishing
Religion: Folk Islam 99 per cent
Conversions to Christianity: fewer than 10

Recently, some missionaries went to a Lebou village. They presented themselves to the Lebou saying, “We are followers of Jesus Christ.” The people responded saying, “Oh, Jesus we know about him. Here is his portrait on the wall. He is buried in a neighbouring village.”

How can this be? The Lebou people are predominated by the Muslim brotherhood Layenne, who believe that Mohammed and Jesus came among the Lebou slightly over 100 years ago, reincarnated in the persons of Seydina Laye (1843–1909) and Issa (Jesus) Rohou Laye (1909–1949). These two individuals have been followed by other religious leaders called caliphs. At the present time Cherif Abdoulahi is the caliph of the Mahdi (reincarnation of the prophet Mohammed, Seydina Laye). You can read more about this belief at the website www.layene.sn.

The Lebou have been living on the Dakar peninsula since the 18th century. They built fortifications around their new realm and in 1795 created an independent republic. A well-organised government still exists among the Lebou. The majority of landholders in Dakar are Lebou; Dakar-based Lebou even think, “We own Dakar.” One possible meaning of the name “Lebou” is “a warrior who does not accept domination”. Certainly the Lebou are strongly attached to their cultural identity and independence. Only those who live like the Lebou are considered to be Lebou.

There are strong occult practices among the Lebou. Through Islam the Lebou understand that there is a creator God. However, they believe that this God is not accessible to humans. The Lebou believe that there is a supernatural world which governs their destiny, and prefer to communicate with the spirits called “rab” who came from the sea. These beings seem to be closer to them physically and emotionally than the creator God. The Lebou perform various kinds of sacrifices to appease the spirits and bind themselves in covenants with them. Each Lebou is bound to a “rab” who accompanies him. The “rab” can be either good or bad, and can cause sickness, paralysis or folly. It can kill a person or give blessing and protection. If a person is troubled by his “rab” a ceremony exists to help the person to be reconciled with his accompanying spirit. During such ceremonies — which include dances and singing — some people enter into trances and sacrifice bulls or other animals. The ceremony is directed by a sorcerer.

There are some evangelical missions working among the Lebou. Several Lebou have indicated a genuine desire to know more about Jesus and the Bible. Some have had dreams and visions from the Lord.

Prayer points

* Pray for revelations of God among the Lebou.
* Pray that the Lebou will be delivered from the powers of darkness.
* Pray that resistance to the gospel among this people will be overcome by a true desire to follow God.
* Pray for God to give perseverance to the Christians who are seeking to bring the gospel to the Lebou.

Copyright 2005 by 30-Days International. All rights reserved.