In the lead-up to the United Nations COP29 summit in Azerbaijan this month, Senegalese women gathered in Dakar to rally for climate justice.
Around 50 climate activists joined the march, calling for the protection of Senegal’s natural resources and a shift towards a decarbonized future.
Cheikh Niang Faye, a former tour guide, highlighted their ongoing struggle, noting that despite four years of protests, little has changed. “They’re spending billions on conferences, but they owe us billions in compensation,” she said, arguing that industrialized nations, in their pursuit of development, have contributed significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Faye emphasized that global warming has been particularly harsh on rural women, who are vulnerable to climate impacts. Senegal has experienced record floods this year, displacing tens of thousands and damaging over 1,000 hectares of crops in the northern and eastern regions.
The activists argue that the nations most responsible for emissions should bear the cost of Africa’s climate hardships. Among the protesters was Khady Faye, who traveled from her home near the Saloum Delta, an area affected by severe coastal erosion. This year also saw the start of oil production at Senegal’s Sangomar offshore drilling site, a project largely controlled by Australia’s Woodside Energy.
“Think about the suffering of these communities. Leave our delta untouched, keep the gas at Sangomar underground, and let the community live normally. We want climate justice in the Saloum Delta,” she urged.
Dakar-based activist Khady Camara, who organized the march, echoed the call for action, urging countries to adhere to the Paris Agreement. “It’s time for polluting countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This is at the core of the disasters Africa is facing,” she said.
