Lt. Gouverneur du Colonie du Soudan Français, Rapport Politique Annuel, Année 1933 (May 22, 1933) in ANFOM Affaires Politiques Carton 2802
	Notes © 1999 by Jim Jones, Ph.D.

(p4) Tableau de la Population Indigène par Races: This table shows the population of several cercles in the French Soudan broken down by race, according to a classification system devised by the French administrator.

This table is drawn from the same table as the previous table. It shows the cercles that were inventoried, and the total population of each cercle:

(p8) This is a list of decrees that created the colony of French Soudan as it existed in 1933:

• Décrets du 18 Août et 27 Août 1892: founded the Colonie indépendante du Soudan
• Décret du 16 Juin 1895: integrated the colony of Soudan into the Fédération de l'Afrique Occidentale Française
• Décret du 17 Octobre 1896: divided the AOF into Senegal, Guinée, Cote d'Ivoire, Dahomey and two military regions
• Décret du 10 Octobre 1902: created the Colonie de la Sénégambie et Niger
• Décret du 18 Octobre 1904: created the Colonie du Haut-Sénégal-Niger
• Décret du 1 Mars 1919: the eastern military territory becomes Haute Volta
• Décret du 4 Decembre 1920: Haut- Sénégal-Niger was renamed Soudan Français
• Décret du 5 Septembre 1932: some territory from Haute Volta returned to Soudan Français

As of December 31, 1933, French Soudan has 24 cercles of which 10 were divided into subdivisions.

(p14) Le régime de l'indigénat de la Colonie du Soudan Français résultant des dispositions du décret du 15 Novembre 1924 et des actes subséquents, a normalement été appliqué au cours de l'année 1933 (Forced labor, as defined by the decree of November 15, 1924 and subsequent acts, was employed in French Soudan during the course of 1933).

(pp20-21) This table shows the number of days of forced labor employed in the French Soudan, broken down by cercle, from 1931-1933.

The biggest increase in the use of forced labor took place in San and Koutiala, due to the fact that they each recently obtained additional territory from Haute Volta.

(p22) This table shows the amount of wages paid to forced laborers and the number of days that they were expected to work in various cercles:

(p23) Owners of trucks, automobiles and trailers were also subject to the requisition of their vehicles for four days. They were compensated at a rate of 5 to 15 francs per day.

(p31) Armes et munitions: This table shows the distribution of firearms in the colony of French Soudan by race, type and cercle:

(p31) In general, Africans did not own rifled weapons, but a few were presented by French authorities as gifts of honor. For example, in the Gercle de Gao, "Carabine d'honneur remise à Mohamed Ahmed, Chef des Cheriffen par le Minstre des Colonies."

(p32) Africans make their own gunpowder for trade weapons, as well as flints.

(p39) Conventions écrits entre indigènes: This table shows the number of legal contracts between Africans that were filed in 1933:

(p40) Types of contracts: There is a long list that mentions, among many other things, a contract at Ségou for "Engins à employer pour la pèche" and one at Gao for "mandat (représentation en justice de Paix)"

(p44) This is a list of the laws that created "Conseils de Notables" (governing bodies composed of African leaders) in the following cercles:

• Bamako: January 18, 1920
• Gao: March 15, 1922
• Kayes: January 18, 1920
• Mopti: January 18, 1920
• Ségou: January 18, 1920
• Timbuktu: January 18, 1920

(pp47-48) There is a list of the items handled by the Conseils des Notables. The main items are assigning the days of forced labor and calculating personal income taxes. Other business concerns agricultural production.

(p66) The military post at Tessalit (near the Algerian border in the Sahara Desert) was transferred temporarily to the military command at Kidal.

(p69) There were no problems associated with Islam. There were two major Islamic sects in the colony, Kadria (alternate spelling= Qadiriyya) and Tidjania à douze grains.

(pp72-73) A marabout named Seydou Nourou Tall, a descendant of El Hadj Omar (Umar Tall), was a prominent figure in the colony. He came from Guinea to Bamako in May 1933 and was received by a huge crowd at the mosque. After a tour through Ségou, San, Mopti, Ouahigouya and Tougan, he returned to Bamako on November 20 and went on to Dakar after a stop in Kita. The report mentions his loyalty to France and the positive effect of his trip through the Soudan.

(p98) The report describes the effects of the depression on local business in Kayes - shops closed, no customers in restaurants, many unemployed masons and construction workers, etc.

(p99) There was a yellow fever epidemic in Kayes in 1932.

(p104) On December 26, 1933, the colony observed the 50th anniversary of the French presence in the Soudan. A statue of Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes, the founder of the French fort in Bamako, was erected for the ceremony.

(p106) On December 27, 1933, a statue of Colonel Archinard was erected in Ségou for 50th anniversary of the French presence in the Soudan.

(p124) There was fighting in the Sahara region in 1932 between Kountas from Bourem and Cheriffen from Gao.