In Bambilor, tensions are running high. The Samm Suñu Suuf collective organized a day of prayer and reflection to denounce what it calls "massive land grabbing." More than 300 hectares are said to be threatened, jeopardizing the very existence of the community.

Demolitions deemed illegal

Residents accuse the Social Security Fund (CSS) of having carried out, under the escort of the DSCOS (Directorate of Surveillance and Control of Land Use), demolitions deemed irregular.

According to the group, these operations were carried out without prior notice or summons, destroying homes, foundations, and fields. The area in question covers 255 hectares, encompassing four neighborhoods and several already inhabited housing developments.

However, the occupants point out that they possess ancestral customary rights, reinforced by agricultural resolutions and administrative notifications. They also rely on decree 2006-103 of February 3, 2006, which declares the maintenance of the villages of Bambilor, Mbeuy and Diender on land parcel 1975/R to be in the public interest.

The call to the highest levels of government: "Jub, Jubal, Jubanti"

The spokesperson for the collective, Adama Sow, directly addressed the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister. "We cannot preach 'Jub, Jubal, Jubanti' and then allow the homes of poor citizens to be demolished for the benefit of a privileged few. Bambilor declares any land grabber persona non grata," he warned.

The group is demanding full compensation for affected landowners and the regularization of their land. A protest march is planned for March 25th, from the Bambilor town hall to the affected sites.

The caliph breaks his silence: "The state is a continuum"

Khalif Thierno Amadou Ba, a central figure in the mobilization, brought decisive moral and historical weight to the struggle. He notably recounted the origins of the dispute, which dates back to the presidency of Abdoulaye Wade.

“The land is a sacred legacy from our ancestors. Protecting it means preserving our dignity and our future. I have long fought against land grabbing in Bambilor and I will continue to do so,” he firmly stated.

The religious authority recalled that at the time, President Wade had ordered a halt to the demolitions following direct mediation. "I had requested an expansion of the land to meet the needs of young people and future generations. The calculation of the necessary hectares had been validated. But the state is a continuum: they took advantage of the change of government to cancel everything, to the detriment of the people," the caliph revealed.

For the latter, it is imperative that the new authorities correct the situation: "I call on the president and the prime minister to take into account the difficulties of the people. We will no longer accept this plundering. Destroying the property of others without concern is regrettable."

Silence from the local authority

Mayor Ndiagne Diop's silence is being sharply criticized. Residents accuse him of neglecting his constituents while the town desperately lacks basic infrastructure: no municipal stadium, only one health post, and an overcrowded maternity ward. Town councilors, business leaders, and youth groups have now joined forces behind the collective.

Towards a united front

Faced with what they consider a brutal attempt at expropriation, the neighborhoods, villages, and landowners have joined forces in a federation. Their objective is now clear: to present a united front against CSS in order to secure respect for their rights and the preservation of their land heritage.