The sheep on the roof

Dakar, the European town in Africa

We arrive in Ouakam, Dakar late in the night. It is difficult to sleep, as the window opens on a noisy street. About midnight the taxis become quiet but then… the sheep start bleating. Wait… the sheep? Everything becomes clear in the morning. The sheep live on the neighbor’s roof, together with chicken. How the animal waste and hygiene is being dealt with, this I prefer not to know.

I show this to housemates. Fatou, who comes from countryside, comments innocently: “It is because here in Dakar, there is not enough space on the street. That’s why they live on the roof ”

I tease her a bit: “You know, in Europe we have this problem that it snows in the winter and the roofs get quite cold. Where do you think the poor Parisian people keep their sheep?”

“Maybe in the kitchen?” She replies.

Walking the suburbs of Ouakam, Ngor, Yoff and Bonlieu, it becomes clear that the animals live everywhere.

Dakar has the reputation of the European town in West Africa. But I am not sure why. The European concept of a town roots down to the Middle Ages, when the towns were formally located, often with the so-called Magdeburg law. It provided a legal framework which legally differentiated the towns from the villages. Many activities associated with farming were banned in towns. This is why in Europe, the towns represent different culture, mentality and way of life than the countryside.

Instead, Dakar feels mentally like an enormous village. It is true that houses are richer, and cars are more expensive, and there is cinema and museum. But is this what constitutes a “town”? When you observe how people live, commute to work, do shopping, prepare food, and how they organize the space, both inside households as well as on streets and squares - Dakar is clearly a village.