Ndjolé

Ndjolé stands on the Ogooué where the river narrows between hills, and it was a trading post in the nineteenth century at the limit of navigation from the coast, which made it the transfer point between river boats and porterage inland. Both the main road east and the Trans-Gabon railway cross the river here now. Samory Touré, the West African leader deported by the French, died in exile nearby in 1900.

History

Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza founded the military post of Ndjolé in 1883 at a strategic point on the Ogooué, and because the river is hard to navigate further upstream, foresters loaded their timber here to send it down to Port-Gentil. In 1898 the French built a prison on an island in the river opposite the town, and Samory Touré, founder of the Wassoulou Empire, died there in captivity; the Senegalese religious leader Cheikh Amadou Bamba Mbacké was also held here in exile and forced labour (Wikipedia, Ndjolé).

Highlights

• The river narrows - the Ogooué squeezed between hills at the town.
• The trading post history - the limit of navigation from the coast.
• The crossings - the road and railway both spanning the river here.
• The exile connection - the nearby site of Samory Touré's death in 1900.

When to go

June to September is the drier season. The rains raise the river considerably. The town is quiet at any season.

Practical notes

There is very little to see and an hour covers the town. Facilities are basic. The historical associations have almost nothing marking them on the ground.

Nearby

Lambaréné is downstream, and Lopé National Park is east.

Key facts