07/03/2023
YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE !!!
Suite et pas fin de notre communiqué de presse, nous vous partageons la version anglaise. Merci d'aimer, de partager et surtout n'oubliez pas de vous abonnés
Merci
Yene, March 5th, 2023
PRESS STATEMENT
Vast Land Spoliation Attempt Underway in the Yene/Dialaw Area
The public statement of the Managing Director (MD) of the Autonomous Port of Dakar (PAD),
Mr. Mountaga SY, on the kick-off process of the Port of Ndayane is pure propaganda and
manipulation. It contains a series of contradictions and inaccuracies, purposefully meant to hide
the amateurism and lack of rigor of the Senegalese administrative authorities regarding the
design of the project.
The DIALAW CIVIC ACTION GROUP (COLLECTIF DIALAW) calls on the national and
international media and public opinion to witness the ongoing attempt at land
misappropriation. We denounce a diversion of objectives of the project, whose land needs have
successively increased from 300 to 600 hectares, then 1200 hectares, not to mention 600
additional hectares allocated to Dubai Port World (DP World). The State, through its various
branches involved, has not respected the procedures as provided for by law, as shown by the
following elements:
● There was no comprehensive dialogue with all groups of potentially impacted. The MD of
the PAD has chosen a 'straw collective', composed of a dozen people whose properties
could be extracted from the perimeter of the Port of Ndayane;
● The MD of the PAD, currently highlighted in the press, is not the agent of the State legally
empowered to lead this process;
● The procedure for expropriation in the public interest does not comply with any of the
substantive formalities required by law ;
● The boundaries of the Port of Ndayane change according to the affinities of the political
elites of power, trampling on the very notion of public utility, which is advanced as a
justification for the seizure of the land surrounding the original limits of the future port;
● The MD of the PAD, as well as the Prefects mobilized to help him execute this forfeiture,
note that the overwhelming majority of those impacted reject offers made within the
framework of pseudo "Conciliation Commissions";
● However, contrary to the assertions of the MD of the PAD, the challenge is not limited to
the amounts of the allowances advanced. The impacted decry the misuse of objectives, and
the illegal and opaque procedures used, which they reject. Reducing their opposition to
exclusively financial motives reflects a profound ignorance of the historical, cultural, social,
and economic realities of the area.
In addition, the populations refute his assertion that "95% of those af ected are from the department
of Mbour, 5% from the department of Rufisque (280 out of 5,460 people)". Due to an insidious shift
in regional boundaries between Dakar and Thiès, the future port, mostly on the historic
territory of Yene, is conveniently located in Ndayane. We suspect that this "geographical sleight
of hand" is deliberately done to delegitimize the challenge of the rights holders in Yene.
In view of this situation, the following resolutions were adopted:
1. COLLECTIF DIALAW demands that the DG of the PAD and the administrative authorities
stop intimidating the population.
2. COLLECTIF DIALAW informs the President of the Republic, Mr. Macky SALL, that the
administrative authorities under his orders are at the helm of illegal, unjust, improvised
operations and infringing on the rights and dignity of the population. COLLECTIF
DIALAW denounces the irresponsible statements of Mr. Mountaga SY on the imminent
start of the work, while no prerequisite is met.
3. COLLECTIF DIALAW calls on the officials of Dubai Port World to condemn this unfair
situation towards the populations impacted by the Port of Ndayane project. We reserve the
right to pursue this procedure before all competent international bodies, both judicial and
arbitrary.
4. COLLECTIF DIALAW remains at the disposal of the press to provide further information
on the scandalous management of this port project. We believe that the project could
positively impact the economy of our country, as well as the prosperity of the host
communities if it is executed in a transparent, fair, and equitable manner..
ABOUT THE YENE / DIALAW ADVOCACY COLLECTIVE (COLLECTIF DIALAW)
The mission of COLLECTIF DIALAW is to preserve the interests of the populations and to promote inclusive
and sustainable development within the natural region of DIALAW which today includes all or part of the
communes of Yene, Sendou, Diass, and Ndayane. It is the response of disillusioned populations, who are
attacked from all sides by a multitude of projects by public and private actors.
COLLECTIF DIALAW also aims to be a force of proposal in the implementation of large-scale projects in the
area, so that they generate maximum positive spin-offs.
Thanks for your attention !
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