During a visit to construction sites in the Kédougou region, the Minister of Infrastructure, Déthié Fall, was directly challenged by the mayor of Saraya, Sambaly Biagui. This frank and direct question highlighted the glaring infrastructure deficit plaguing this border town, the primary entry point to Senegal from Mali.

Before the minister, the mayor painted a stark picture of his community's situation. "Minister, we are receiving you in Saraya, where infrastructure is completely lacking. For example, in Saraya, the departmental capital, we would like to have a proper town hall. The municipality of Saraya is the first town one encounters when coming from Mali. We have also been in contact with Promoville. We received their letter and we will respond to identify the roads that need improvement. The municipality of Saraya has only one primary school. The classrooms are overcrowded. We are determined to champion education within the municipality. We also hope that you will consider local expertise in the construction of these infrastructures," stated Sambaly Biagui, Mayor of Saraya.

Beyond the symbolism of a town hall, the mayor of Saraya raised the entire issue of institutional visibility, urban planning, and above all, education. This strategic border town still struggles to provide basic infrastructure commensurate with its administrative status.

In response to this complaint, Minister Déthié Fall gave a realistic answer, recalling budgetary constraints, but also the stated desire of the authorities to progress gradually.

“We conducted a tour of Kédougou with Ageroute and Promoville. We observed that, despite the efforts already made, maintenance issues persist. Once in Dakar, these matters will be examined with FERA. We must proceed gradually. The infrastructure deficit is significant, and it would be unrealistic to expect everything to be resolved simultaneously, given the current context. What remains constant are the ambitions and the commitment expressed by the Head of State and the Prime Minister to see these issues resolved as quickly as possible. This explains our ongoing presence on the ground.”

Infrastructure is about what's happening on the ground. After each tour, we make proposals to alleviate the pressures on the population regarding priorities, while we work to mobilize all the necessary resources to address these issues thoroughly. You've seen the budgetary efforts made. In Kédougou as in Saraya, Promoville has been brought in to work quickly with the municipality on a development program. This doesn't solve everything, but it demonstrates the authorities' commitment to responding to the concerns of the people,” the minister replied.

This series of exchanges highlighted two realities: on the one hand, the urgency expressed by local authorities facing a lack of basic infrastructure; on the other hand, the caution of a State which recognizes the delay, but argues for a gradual approach, dictated by financial constraints and national priorities.

In Saraya, expectations remain high. Between the need for a town hall, insufficient school infrastructure, and hope placed in programs like Promoville, the border town now hopes that the ministerial visit will quickly translate into concrete actions.