A convoy of several vehicles left Nouakchott on Thursday March 2 for the religious town of Medina Gounass located in eastern Senegal (Tambacounda). This convoy of around fifty cars is carrying more than 300 people for the 2023 edition which begins on Saturday March 4. It lasts more than ten days. Daaka means a spiritual retreat in a secluded place.
For more than 10 days, the faithful Muslims, who have come from all over the world, will devote themselves, in the middle of the bush, to prayer and the recital of the Koran. It is exclusively reserved for men who fully support themselves. The Daaka was established in 1942 by El Hadji Thierno Mouhamdou Saïd Bâ. A marabout who devoted his whole life to devotion to Allah and his Prophet PSL
Since then, says Bâ Abderrahmane, president of the Daaka Gounass of Nouakchott, the number of faithful continues to grow with each edition. Last year, the pilgrims were estimated at nearly one million faithful. It is the work of Allah, says Mr. Bâ. He adds that the Mauritanians participate strongly in this religious meeting, they come from Nouadhibou, Zouerate and all the left bank of the Senegal River.
A few hours before the departure of the convoy, on March 2, the members of the organizing committee, Ly Bousré, responsible for relations with the administration, Diop Alhousseynou, treasurer, Sy Dahirou, responsible for the organization, are busy, in the Gounass mosque, located in Medina R, with the latest settings (lists of pilgrims and number of cars, administrative authorizations, etc.), everyone tells of the importance and advantages of this great annual religious meeting. It brings closer, by the many prayers, the faithful Moslems of Allah and his Prophet. According to Mr. Bâ, on the site of several hundred hectares where the Daaka is held, we do not see flies, mosquitoes or other harmful insects; snakes and other poisonous reptiles, reputed to be dangerous, remain harmless to pilgrims. “These are one of the granted wishes of the founder of Daaka” specifies Mr. Bâ. During the Daka, the faithful dedicate their time to prayer, to reading the Holy Quran, the life and work of the prophet PSL and to zikr.
All around the mosque, the many candidates for the trip were busy around the various vehicles to load their many parcels dropped off here and there. Taxis and other personal cars continued to drop off, around 6 p.m., travelers from different parts of the capital. It should be noted that the Daaka has become like a big fair, the pilgrims take away various goods that they resell to support themselves during their stay. Many traders from West Africa and the Maghreb come to take advantage of this meeting.
Finally, it should be noted that the Daaka is closed by a great prayer ceremony presided over by the Khalif of Gounass, Thierno Ahmadou Tidiane Bâ and in the presence, for several years, of the President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall. During this ceremony, Dua’a are formulated by the guide, for all the Islamic UMA.