TANGALY – Delegates and representatives from all corners of
the prefecture, as well as the broader region, were present this Saturday,
March 3rd to welcome and observe the first match of the General
Ibrahima Baldé Tournament for National Unity and Reconciliation, between
the sub-prefectures of Konah and Tangaly.
The opening ceremony got underway a
bit before 1300h in the court of the primary school in the center of Tangaly.
Onlookers and invitees alike had begun to assemble almost two hours before,
those arriving earlier able to seek out the shadiest places from which to
observe. A troop of griots, comprised
of a flute player, a lead singer with a funny hat, four drummers, and a man who
played a calabash half with many-ringed fingers (also wearing a funny hat)
entertained the crowd and collected donations while awaiting the arrival of
governor of the region and the general himself (Brigadier General Ibrahima Baldé,
commander of the mobile squadron and chief of the military justice). After
several additional pickup-truck loads of plastic chairs arrived for the men,
and subsequent reorganization the seated/standing interface, a drumming prelude
announced the arrival of the guests of honor and the start of the ceremony.
The governor, the general, and
their delegation took their reserved seats in the middle of the mass, and the
crowd of well-attired women pushed inward to see better in a wave of colorful fabric
and breastfeeding babies. The PA system was thankfully placed above and a bit
away from the crowd on the terrace of the building above, so it didn’t deafen
anyone. The governor, the sub-prefect of Tangaly, the local radio host who
acted as emcee, and General Baldé each took the microphone in turn and
thanked, by name, each of the important people that were present. After this
30-minute process, the sub-prefect described some of the great work that the
sub-prefecture of Tangaly had done, such as bridge- and school-building, and
announced that, with the help and in honor of General Baldé,
soon Tangaly would be home to a local office of the gendarmerie to help maintain the peace. He then explained that this
Tournament was to promote national (and regional) unity, and foster
reconciliation amongst all Guineans, following the wish of the president,
Professor Alpha Condé. The general, who is from Tangaly and is building an
impressive and expansive compound not far from the town center, then addressed
the group in their local language, Pular, and offered seemingly endless words
of thanks, humor, prophesy, and advice. The opening ceremony finished at about an
hour and a half after it had started with a benediction by the imam.
The most important of the attendees
were invited to the sub-prefectural compound, where a feast was laid before
them. Those who arrived first after climbing the rocky road up to the building
were able to get both plates and spoons, and helped themselves to riz gras,
yassa [peas and onions in oily sauce]
with meat and fries, couscous, polenta, fresh yogurt, and salad. Some were even
offered warm canned soda. With round bellies and smiling faces, the invitees
trickled back down the hill and onto the road, where they slowly made their way
to the soccer field. This reporter encountered a Peace Corps Volunteer bumping
down the hill on his bike, who was attending the ceremony almost by accident.
“I just came to see the principal of the school and take a look at a house that
might lodge a future volunteer, I didn’t know I would be listening to
traditional drumming and eating some of the best food I’ve had outside of
Conakry,” he said. The volunteer added that the house was marvelous, and any
future Tangaly volunteer would be quite content with both their lodging and the
warm reception and good cooking of the sub-prefect and his wife.
At the soccer field, people had
begun to gather, after seeking out shady places to park their motorcycles.
Several Landcruiser-loads of people that were too important to walk or lucky
enough to snag a place on top, clinging to the luggage rack, arrived, the cars
throwing up big clouds of dust as they drove across the dry field to the
bamboo-and-tarpaulin awning that had been built for the noteworthy guests. A
few men worked to attach nets to the wooden goalposts, and the speakers were
wired and the generators (two; one for the announcer his speakers, the other
for the DJ and his speakers) fired up. Reporters from the regional radio,
national radio, and even the TV station took their places and switched on their
camcorders. Finally, at 1605h, the whistle blew.
Tangaly played more energetically
than Konah during the first half, making use of lots of passing and careful
footwork. They only threatened the Konah keeper occasionally, but, at the
nineteenth minute, their fitness and finesse showed and they led the score,
1-0. The announcer and his Pular translator kept the noise level up and the
crowd engaged, even as many spectators continued to arrive throughout the first
half. Most notable were the young women that had not been present at the
opening ceremony, but were now so decked out in colorful garb, intricate
hairdos, and heavy makeup that their earlier absence was easily understood. Not
even the difficulty of walking in stilettos through a fallow field (as this is
what bordered the soccer field) could keep them from showing up to see their
team and be seen by all.
Early on in the second half, the
sun had already descended enough into the haze on the horizon that it was no
longer brilliant, or even difficult to look at. The dust kicked up by the
players seemed to linger longer in the slanting light. The announcer drew the
crowd’s attention to the Fatako team, present on the sidelines, who would be
playing both Konah and Tangaly in the following week as the tournament
continued. Konah kept up the defense, but couldn’t find success in any of their
multiple attempts on goal. Tangaly’s keeper won many rounds of cheers and
applause from the crowd for his impressive saves. After a strong drive across
the field, one of Tangaly’s attackers landed a second goal during the
eighty-first minute. Finally, just as no more of the sun’s disc was visible in
the sky, the final whistle blew: Tangaly two, Konah zero. All players shook
hands, and General Baldé and the sub-prefect praised the teams for their
sportsmanship and obvious commitment to unity and reconciliation.
Spectators left as slowly as they
had come. Motorcycle headlights made impressive shadow figures as they cut between
those on foot and the dust that was inevitably raised with so much movement. General
Baldé
and his squadron of attendant gendarmes
left in their official cars, quickly overtaking the motorcyclists. Young
children that hadn’t seemed present during the match suddenly appeared and
danced in the dark in front of the speakers. The tarps and goalnets were taken
down. The half-life-sized framed picture of the president that had sat at the
back of the covered seating area was put back in its battered cardboard box.
Everyone went home.
Vive
la paix! Vive la réconciliation!
Vive la Guinée!
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