In your today?s edition of ?Towns and Villages?, we travel to the Kombo East political district to bring to the spotlight the tales of a community that has been well known for standard security scrutiny.

By standard security scrutiny we mean the efficiency of the police in that community, because it is common to hear people speak about the perfect way they execute their duties. This community is none other than Mandinaba, situated on the outskirts of Brikama ?Sateeba?, linking Brikama to Foni and the Senegalese province of Casamance. Today, Mandinaba is in the Western Region of The Gambia and administered from the Brikama local government authority. Please read below the thrilling historical revelations about this traditionally wealthy community.

The foundation
During our encounter with the current custodian of the land of Mandinaba, Lan filly Saano, we could not authenticate the origin of the name ?Mandina?, but the suffix ?Baa? is a Mandinka word meaning ?big?. The name therefore means ?Big Mandina?. According to our sources, Mandinaba was ironically a big and small settlement and has tasted the glory of age. The land that today hosts the village of Mandinaba was believed to be a sacred site. Both kings and warlords who once lived around the area were advised by their marabouts to perform rituals among which was to bath their bodies at a spiritually identified portion of the land before they can engage in any activities in their kingdoms particularly warfare.

The land was therefore used as a safe haven for victory by kings and Soninke warriors. Our sources pointed out to this column a huge 'Taboo' tree which the ancient public figures climbed to perform their rituals before going to war.  The relics of this 'Taboo tree is still clearly visible. The community continued to perform its ritual functions up till the early part of the 19th century when war tore the settlement apart.

The transformation of this ritual community into an environment worthy of human habitation according to our sources began with the migration of a well-known Mandinka warrior, Nfanley Sanneh, who migrated from the Kingdom of Kaabu to establish an enclave which he could administer on his own. During that period of history, the land that today hosts the community of Mandinaba despite being used by kings and warlords in the neighbourhood to perform their rituals was under the authority of the King of Faraba.

The arrival of the Mandinka warlord into that part of the spiritual forest happened during the reign of King Mamadi Taku. When Nfaley Sanneh arrived in that part of The Gambia, as tradition demanded, he visited the king to inform him of his arrival and as well request for a land to settle and search for the treasures of life. The king granted the request of the warrior, and the ritual site was allocated to him for his settlement. However, credit for the development of the land into a perfect human settlement goes to one Mamadi Saano, also a migrant from the Land of Wuli believed to be the first to keep the founder in good company during those early days of settlement; as a result of this, Mamadi Saaano was believed to be the first alkalo of the land of Mandinaba and he it was who first opened the doors for more migrants to build their homes on the new land.

Mandinaba, our sources confirmed, enjoyed peace and tranquility in the early days of settlement but it was short lived. In the early part of the 19th century, Marabout leader Foday Kombo Sillah of Gunjur launched a major military onslaught against one of the Soninke warriors. Burama Njie who was resident  in Mandinaba at the time. This war forced the community to flee for their lives and properties thereby resulting to the destruction of the first settlement of the community of Mandinaba, which was situated along the river bank.

When the dusts of the war finally settled down, people from this once peaceful community began to reconverge to form what could be described as a second settlement. This second settlement was referred to as "Talookoto" by the indigenes.  It was as a result of the large number of people who came back to be part of the second settlement that the community that was initially called Mandina got its suffix "Baa", a Mandinka word meaning big band the complete name Mandinaba meaning the big Mandina.

Aborigines and expansion
As we earlier revealed in the introductory lines of the piece, the little historical facts gathered by this column confirmed that the community that will latter be known as Mandinaba was founded by one Nfaley Sanneh, a warrior who migrated from the Kingdom of Kaabu in search for the treasures of life. The community was expanded and developed by Mamadi Saano.

It is therefore substantive to argue that the Sanneh?s and Saano?s jointly founded the community of Mandina Baa since the history of the community without both names. When the founders cleared the forest and get ready to start a life, the cool topography blended with the fine panorama of the land soon began attracting mass migration from left, right and centre. According to our sources, the first people to join the founders in the company of the new home en mass were believed to be the Lumbang (Susu) who migrated from Sierra Leone. They were followed by the Mandinkas and then the Fulas. Otheres like the Jolas, Manjagos and Tilibonkas were also said to be part of the migration route since the early days of settlement. Today, the community of Mandinaba is among the biggest in the region.

The alkaloship
Just like any other traditional African communal setting, the community of Mandinaba is still dependent on the traditional lineage line of authority with power being hierarchically transferred from the older to younger generation. As tradition demands, the alkaloship of the village rests with the family of the founders.  This was how current alkalo, Lan filly Saano, sums up the alkaloship of the community: "According to what I heard from our elders, this village was founded by a Kaabunka, Nfaley Sanneh but it was our grandfather, Mamadi Saano, who transformed it into a village for people to live. This was why Mamadi was the first alkalo of this village; when he died, my father Sambu Saano took over the mantle of leadership and after his demise I took over the throne."

African Tradition
Being a ritual centre for the ancient generation, it is obvious that the community of Mandinaba has had its name inked in the old good book of tradition and as such its history can never be complete without mentioning how culture and tradition were observed in the village. As already stated, a "taboo" tree currently situated on the outskirts of the village was said to be the centre of all traditional activities. Public figures like kings and warlords as demanded by the marabouts performed their rituals under it before engaging in any social function. Apart from the Taboo tree, two other ritual sites notably "sitooo" and "beeray" also stand prominently in the community.

These two sites were said to be used by women to overcome major challenges of life such as barrenness; but the ritual site Beeray was used by men as well  and people come from far away to posses the miracle to overturn their challenges in life. Up till today, Mandinaba is a community in firm grip with tradition.

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