People and Landscapes of The Sahel
With the start of French military operations in Mali and likely follow-on operations by African nations, I hope these photos give a sense of what the Sahel looks like. These pictures are from Chad and Sudan – not neighbours to Mali as Niger lies in between, but they are also part of the Sahel.
The Sahel is mostly savannah and desert and it is often desolate. The dominant colour is sand. Women living in the area wear brightly coloured clothing which covers them from head to toe, which is not surprising given the heat and brightness of the light. The area is lonely, dry and surprisingly beautiful.
At first glance, it often appears to be empty, but a second look will show people living in what appears to be an inhospitable environment. The desert conveys (to me, at least) a sense of peace and tranquility, but I suppose you only feel that when you have sufficient food and water.
The overwhelming impressions are of silence, a horizon that lies far, far away and a dessicating heat the sucks the moisture from you. And, then surprisingly, where ever you go and no matter how far from human habitation, you can always find a plastic bag stuck on a tree, or caught on a rock. The photos were taken on a Ricoh GX 200.
Excellent photographs! Really gives you a feel for the area. Very appropriate time for these, too.
Thanks for commenting jacquesdégalité. I hope the current action brings the region a better future.
I certainly hope so too.
Hi Doublewhirler, You really captured the Sahel and its people. We lived in Khartoum for 2 years and were fascinated by the desert. And your comment about the ubiquitous plastic bag is spot on. In Khartoum the goats ate them! All the best, Terri
Yes, I even found them in the furthest flung reaches of Darfur – again, being eaten by goats.
We would love to post the top picture at toemail if you do not mind? Was that in Chad or Sudan? http://toemail.wordpress.com
Thanks very much. Could you please credit Doublewhirler and provide a link to the site? I will email the picture along with its details shortly. Thanks again for looking in.
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An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who was doing
a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me lunch due to the fact that I found
it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the
meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some
time to talk about this issue here on your site.
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