National Archives of Senegal Archives nationales du Sénégal (ANS)

Overview

The National Archives of Senegal (French: Archives nationales du Sénégal, ANS) is the official national archival institution of the Republic of Senegal, headquartered in Dakar at the Central Park building on Avenue Malick Sy. The ANS is supervised by the Secrétariat général du Gouvernement (Prime Minister's Office) and functions as a public repository for official and private documents of enduring national significance.

History and Founding

The origins of the archives date to 1 July 1913, when Decree No. 959, signed by Governor-General William Merlaud-Ponty, established a repository for the French West Africa colonial administration in Dakar. Following Senegalese independence, the service was formally renamed the Archives Nationales in 1962. In 1977 it was elevated to a full directorate under the name Direction des Archives du Sénégal. The archives relocated from Saint-Louis to Dakar following the transfer of the colonial capital in 1958.

Collections and Holdings

The ANS maintains over 18 linear kilometers of documentary holdings spanning official and non-official institutional records, socio-political and religious communities, private organizations, and individual donors. The collection encompasses three overlapping archives in one institution: the federal archives of French West Africa (covering what are now Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, and Guinea), the colonial archives of Senegal proper, and post-independence national records. Two collections have been inscribed by UNESCO on the Memory of the World international register: the Fonds de l'Afrique occidentale française (inscribed 1997) and a collection of 1,515 early 20th-century postcards (inscribed 2015). The ANS also maintains a library tracing its origins to the 1913 Gouvernement Général library.

Access and Usage

The archives are open to the public at no registration fee. Researchers may access colonial-era documents with a daily limit of five folders. Some early documents, particularly those relating to slavery, may be restricted due to their fragile condition. Photography within the reading room is generally permitted. The ANS also houses a documentation centre established in 1962 to serve the information needs of the administration and the public.