Along with a number of Sembène's other films, Ceddo was banned in Senegal for its presentation of the conflicts between the Islamic and Christian religions and ethnic and traditional beliefs.[5] According to another account reported in The New York Times in 1978, the banning was not "because of any religious sensitivity, but because Mr. Sembene insists on spelling 'ceddo' with two d's while the Senegalese Government insists it be spelled with one."[6] Sembène had been a major supporter of the pioneering efforts to develop a system for the transcription of the Wolof language, and of the first Wolof-language publications, and spoke with contempt about President Léopold Sédar Senghor’s knowledge of Wolof, or lack thereof.