“Hale!” “Halele!”
It was the time when fleets of canoes arrived from Madagascar. They could be seen appearing on the horizon, dozens of boats at a time, and the coastal villages knew what awaited them: the men killed, the women and children carried off and sold as slaves on the other side of the sea.
One day, the raiders landed in front of Iconi, the old capital of Bambao. The men fought, but there were too few of them. The women understood that there was no longer any way out. Rather than be taken, they climbed the cliff that overlooks the town and, holding hands, threw themselves into the void.
When the raiders reached the top, there was no one left to capture. The place has remained in people's memories, and in Iconi they still speak of the courage of these women.
What we know about it
This story is linked to a well-documented historical reality: between about the 1790s and the 1820s, Sakalava and Betsimisaraka expeditions from Madagascar ravaged the Comorian coasts in search of slaves. Iconi, like other towns, then protected itself with ramparts.
The details of the episode, however, are known only through tradition: neither its exact date nor the number of victims is known. In collective memory, it embodies resistance and dignity in the face of slavery. Read: Slave trade, slavery and raids.
Further reading
- Outside view Jean Martin, Comores : quatre îles entre pirates et planteurs (2 tomes), 1983 – 1984. L'Harmattan.
- Voices of the archipelago Moussa Saïd Ahmed, Guerriers, princes et poètes aux Comores dans la littérature orale. L'Harmattan, Archipel des Comores series.