On the traces of Senegal's enigmatic anti-colonial heroine

The house where Diatta was allegedly born is pictured in Kabrousse. Photos: John Wessels/AFP

She is hailed today as a figurehead of Senegal's fight for independence from France – but trying to seize the elusive substance of her life is almost like trying to capture a ghost.

Aline Sitoe Diatta is lauded in the West African nation as the embodiment of the anti-colonial struggle, which culminated with independence in 1960, 16 years after her death.