Diabe Cissé appears in the Legend of Wagadu as a younger son of the ancestor Dinga. When Dinga grew old and blind, he intended to transfer chiefly authority to his eldest son, Khiné. Diabe Cissé disguised himself as his older brother and deceived his father into granting him the chiefly powers, setting off a conflict over succession.

After Dinga’s death, Diabe Cissé fled from the anger of Khiné and sought refuge in the wilderness. A mysterious drum then appeared, and four troops of cavalry emerged from the four corners of the wilderness. Their commanders recognized Diabe Cissé as their leader and later became provincial chiefs or governors after the kingdom was founded.

Diabe Cissé eventually reached the site of Kumbi Saleh, where he entered into a pact with the guardian serpent Bida. The new kingdom was called Wagadu, and Diabe Cissé’s descendants ruled under the title of maghan. The Cissé became the ruling clan, while the descendants of the four commanders formed other aristocratic clans of Soninke society.