Sébikhotane is a town and urban commune in the Dakar Region of western Senegal. It is located in the Rufisque Department. The population in 2023 was 42,839.[1]

Sébikhotane
Sébikhotane is located in Senegal
Sébikhotane
Sébikhotane
Location in Senegal
Coordinates: 14°44′49″N 17°08′12″W / 14.74694°N 17.13667°W / 14.74694; -17.13667
Country Senegal
RegionDakar Region
DepartmentRufisque Department
Area
 • Commune
20.11 km2 (7.76 sq mi)
Population
 (2023 census)[1]
 • Commune
42,839
 • Density2,100/km2 (5,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)

Sébikotane is located 45 km east of Dakar. The village was founded by Sébikotane Sereres in 1736. A Catholic seminary was founded in 1911. It was the seat of a rural community from 1984 to 1996. The town received commune status in 1996. The population is mainly composed of farmers and farm workers.[2]

History

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During the Holocaust, some Jews in Senegal were taken by the colonial Vichy administration to an internment camp in Sébikhotane for forced labor. The location of the internment camp has been found, but the functions of the buildings have not yet been identified.[3] 2 Jewish refugees who had escaped Europe were captured in Dakar and temporarily taken to the Sébikhotane internment camp and then transferred to the Office du Niger, a large cotton farm in Mali where the French colonial authorities used slave labor.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Citypopulation.de Population and area of Sébikhotane Commune
  2. ^ Plan d’Investissement Communal de Sébikotane/A. Dia, 2002
  3. ^ "Holocaust links in Senegal revealed". South African Jewish Report. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  4. ^ "Jews in Senegal: Lesson from Holocaust in Africa". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-03-10.