Lac Rose : Maître Diouf en première ligne contre le projet "ville verte" du groupe Orascom
The famous Pink Lake, a natural and cultural jewel of Senegal, is at the heart of a tug-of-war between local communities and real estate developers. The "Green City" project by the Casa Orascom group, which plans the construction of thousands of homes and infrastructure, has just suffered a major setback: several members of the association defending the site have been acquitted, a decision hailed as a symbolic victory by their lawyer, El Hadj Diouf.
Lake Retba (Pink Lake) is described by locals as a "national pride." For them, the urbanization planned by Casa Orascom represents an existential threat.
Mr. Diouf did not mince his words: "These people want to transform Lake Rose at all costs, to kill it and eliminate it."
The concerns of the population fall into three categories:
- Ecological: destruction of the unique ecosystem, notably the band of casuarina trees.
- Socio-economic: disappearance of jobs related to salt extraction and tourism.
- Cultural: erasure of the history and collective memory attached to the site.
In addition to these threats, there are accusations made against the mayor of Tivaouane Peulh-Niague, Papis Diop (alias Momar Sokhna Diop according to some sources), suspected of complicity with the promoter.
The protest quickly moved into the legal arena. Several members of the Lake Rose preservation association were arrested, including Dr. Amath Wade, a respected physician from Niague.
Mr. Diouf denounced these arrests. For him, it is "an attempt to silence dissent and decapitate the leadership of the association," he said.
The doctor's daughter, Maman Thiam, expressed her family's anger after her nearly 65-year-old father spent a week in detention. But the hearing was cut short. "The prosecution itself requested an acquittal, deeming the case 'empty.' The defendants were therefore acquitted," she explained.
Relieved, Maman Thiam welcomed the decision while reaffirming the determination of the residents: "We will not give up the fight today. We will fight until Orascom and the Mayor are held accountable to the people," she warned.
Emboldened by this legal victory, Mr. El Hadj Diouf made a solemn appeal to the Senegalese authorities. He urged the Head of State, as well as the Ministers of the Environment and Tourism, to intervene to prevent the "elimination of Lake Retba" and preserve this national heritage.
"We will not accept the disappearance of Lake Retba from the map of Senegal. No, no and no!" he insisted, emphasizing the need for "the law to prevail".
Commentaires (8)
Il aime vivre dans la misère et la précarité.
J'espère que nos nouvelles autorités resteront fermes devant tous ces prédateurs fonciers qui ne sont interessés par rien d'autre que le profit. Que le Lac disparaisse, que l'ecosysteme se dégrade et que les gens vivent comme des sardines les uns sur les autres, ils s'en fichent!
d'un côté il/elle déplore que ce site soit pollué par des habitations mais dans le même temps cetaines habitations sont des trous à rats avec une nombreuse progéniture du coup on se demande qui sont les vrais sauvages ....kakimette on sait à présent pour qui tu roules, SONKO LE HURLEUR DE PROMESSES !
qui s'assemble se ressemble , va rejoindre ta famille homo karimette, ta mère a honte de toi .
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