Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Fonds of the Afrique
occidentale française (AOF)
Inscribed 1997
What is it
A series of nineteen archival fonds covering all
aspects of the administration of French West Africa
from 1895 through to the end of the French colonial
period in 1959, when the AOF was replaced by nine
independent countries.
Why was it inscribed
The archives exemplify the power struggles between
the former colonial powers in West Africa and the
consequences for economic expansion, partition and
the displacement of peoples. The AOF was a first
attempt at African integration.
Where is it
Archives du Sénégal, Dakar, Senegal
The archives of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale
française, AOF) cover the period 1895–1959. They occupy
an important place in the archival heritage conserved
at the Archives du Sénégal. They include significant
documentation on art and on a number of Islamic
brotherhoods such as Mouridism and Tidjanism, as
well as on Catholicism in French West Africa. Among
the nineteen series of archival fonds included in the
AOF holdings, some are of such importance as to have a
bearing on world history. This is particularly true of the
G series (politics and general administration), which deals
primarily with Muslim affairs and brotherhoods. The
O series deals with education, one of the consequences
of which was the establishment of French-speaking
African states that now play a major role in the Frenchspeaking
world. The K series deals with slavery, including
valuable information on the island of Gorée, a symbol
of slavery, and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
On 16 June 1895 a decree established the government
and laid down the territorial composition of AOF, which
included eight territories (plus Togo, which was placed
under French mandate in 1919). The eight constituent
territories were Senegal, Mauritania, Sudan (present-day
Mali), Niger, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Dahomey (present-day
Benin) and Upper Volta (present-day Burkina Faso). Pierre
402 Fonds of the Afrique occidentale française (AOF)
Messmer, the last Governor-General, returned to France in
1959. The member states of the Franco-African community
that he left behind obtained their sovereignty in 1960, with
the exception of Guinea which had become independent
in 1958.
The establishment of the archives on 1 July 1913 clearly
encouraged the preservation of the AOF holdings. They
are relatively well conserved, despite many transfers and
changes of custody within Dakar, the capital of French
West Africa from 1902. François Maurel (Director, 1958–76)
was instrumental in maintaining the AOF holdings