On April 7, 2026, Senegal took a significant step in regulating its extractive sector with the launch of the Mining and Quarry Site Rehabilitation Fund (FRSMC). During a strategic workshop held in Dakar, the Minister of Energy, Petroleum, and Mines, Birame Souleye Diop, emphasized a key point: contributing to this fund is a legal obligation, not simply an option, as the ministry reiterated in an official statement .

Created under the Environmental Code, this mechanism aims to guarantee the availability of financial resources to restore ecosystems degraded by mining activities. It reflects the authorities' stated commitment to strengthening the environmental responsibility of permit holders and better regulating the impacts of a sector crucial to the national economy.

Beyond the institutional announcement, a key question now arises: that of the effective application of this obligation, particularly with regard to companies whose activities have generated the most significant damage.

In this context, the case of the French group Eramet stands out as emblematic. Its subsidiary, Eramet Grande Côte, formerly GCO, has been the subject of recurring criticism from local communities for several years. These communities denounce the degradation of agricultural land, the loss of food crops such as cassava and bananas, as well as threats to water resources. Forced displacements of populations have also been reported in the mining areas.

These accusations have been relayed by several specialized organizations and platforms, notably in an investigation .

Under these conditions, the credibility of the FRSMC will largely depend on the authorities' ability to mandate priority contributions from those most implicated in ecosystem degradation. If groups like Eramet are not among the top contributors, there is a significant risk that this mechanism will be reduced to a mere administrative formality with no real impact on the ground.

The governor of Thiès, Saër Ndao, also noted during the workshop that mining activities, while essential to growth, have profound consequences for social and environmental balances. He emphasized the need to make rehabilitation a lever for social justice and resilience in the affected areas.

Thus, the launch of the fund marks a significant regulatory step forward. However, its effectiveness will be measured by the actual contributions of the most polluting companies and the State's ability to enforce the fundamental polluter-pays principle.

By Souleymane SARR