The sanitation workers' association in Thiès has escalated its protest by declaring an indefinite strike. This drastic decision aims to denounce the lack of an official, stable, and legally secure site for dumping the sludge collected throughout the city. Today, in the railway capital, the septic trucks are at a standstill, their engines off.

Across the city, dismay is spreading among households. Many families have received no response to their requests for septic tank emptying and are waiting in vain. Meanwhile, overflowing septic tanks pose a real danger and a serious threat to public health. This alarming observation was made by Pape Mbaye, head of the septic tank emptying service in Thiès, who is concerned about the consequences of this deadlock.

The ordeal of land insecurity

The heart of the problem lies in the instability of the unloading areas. According to Pape Mbaye, the professionals work in a state of constant insecurity. He explains that every time a site is allocated to them, a third party comes to claim ownership, accusing them of illegal occupation. He believes it is impossible to work peacefully under these conditions of perpetual conflict.

Actors in the sector thus regularly find themselves at the center of land disputes that go beyond their primary mission, which is, however, to ensure the essential sanitation of the city. This situation of "precarious tolerance" followed by brutal evictions paralyzes the entire logistical chain.

Administrative guarantees to overcome the crisis

To end the strike, the group is demanding concrete commitments from the relevant authorities. The strikers are primarily calling for the identification of a permanent, developed site, as well as an official decree validating its allocation. They are also demanding rigorous administrative protection against any future claims on the chosen land.

For these professionals, the lack of a clear legal framework only exacerbates local tensions while exposing the city of Thiès to a major health crisis. Without a swift institutional response, the specter of epidemics linked to unsanitary conditions could become a bitter reality for the population.