The Soussou people, also known as Susu, are a group of farmers, traders and fishermen who can be found primarily in parts of Guinea. They have not always lived there. They were forced to move to Guinea after the descendants of the thirteenth century Mali Empire, tried to dominate them and convert them to Islam. The Susu live mainly in the coastal areas of Guinea. They tend to live where there are many marshes and waterways. Their houses are made from either mud or cement blocks or whatever is available. In the city, the roofs are made of iron. In the rural areas the roofs are still made from straw.
Over 75 percent of the Susu people live in the capital city of Conakry. Over 930,000 people live within the city. The Susu control and have power over most of the city. Most members of their government are from the Susu tribe. Each village is lead by chief. The leaders are in control of about 3,000 to 6,000 people. They are called wise men because they also resolve fights or conflicts between the people. The homes are often very large to hold many people.
The Susu favor marriage between cousins and they live in extended families groupings. They also allow polygamy although very few practice it because it is expensive. The men do not spend much time with the rest of the family. They hunt all day and sleep in rooms designated for the men. The women gather wood and wild food, rear children and keep the village clean. Each women has her own room or corner of the hut. The children will grow up with many fathers and mothers.
Susu has a Animistic-Islam background. They believe that many ghosts, spirits and gods all inhabit the same land. They make beautiful masks from carvings which they use in their celebrations and dances.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Soussou.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are Soussou, your feedback is much appreciated.
References:
Statistics. The Unreached Peoples Prayer Profiles (1997) http://www.isakim.com/The%20Unreached%20Peoples%20Profiles.htm 6 May 2001
Susu Unreached People Profile. SUSU http://isakim.com/susu.html 6 May 2001
By: Gabriel Schroeder