Meeting between AEFJN and the villagers of Koudiadiène

The Secretariat was invited to a town meeting (attendance 50-60) in Koudiadiène. During this meeting the AEFJN policy officer presented the results of the study and the advocacy efforts undertaken in both Europe and Senegal (CICODEV Africa in Senegal and AEFJN in Europe Conference in European Parliament 2014).

During a 4-hour meeting villagers asked questions and debated on the way forward. The town meeting agreed that the organization of advocacy efforts on a local level should be strengthened, especially voicing their concerns to the local government (Comité rural). The villagers said that the study provides them with valuable information for their advocacy efforts on the local level, both on the effects of the mining exploitations and on the Senegalese laws that are not respected by the companies.

At the meeting villagers from neighbouring villages like Lamlam also raised their concerns, stating that they are suffering from the same harmful impacts of phosphate exploitation in their towns. So, efforts are made to bring all villages in the district together to show solidarity in their resistance to the phosphate mining.

The villagers told the Secretariat that the situation had not improved in the last year: the Mango trees do not produce any fruit anymore, the tomato plants do not produce anymore and the yield from palm trees has deteriorated; moreover, their cattle were dying because of the toxic dust emitted by the mining companies into the air and onto plants that the animals eat.