On Thursday, residents of Dougar and their groups were barred from attending a crucial public hearing regarding the reclassification of 115 hectares of forest. They denounce this as a blatant injustice and are alerting the authorities to a serious threat to their future and their land.

The hearing, convened by the sub-prefect of Diamniadio, aimed to discuss the declassification of a portion of the forest. Members of the Dougar, Dougar Potou, and Land Defense Collectives claim they were turned away at the entrance.

According to them, only individuals in favour of the project to transfer the land to a private company, the Gueye holding company, were allowed to participate.

Faced with what they call an "outrage," the residents immediately organized a press conference to denounce the injustice and directly challenge the authorities.

“Our land is our life,” a threatened heritage

Ousmane Sarr, spokesperson for the residents, expressed the anger and determination of the people.

"The Gueye holding company came out of nowhere to seize our land by force, and we will never accept it. We have spent our entire lives here, and we are fighting above all for our grandchildren. This land is our heritage, our history, our survival," he declared.

He accuses the company of having attempted a consultation "under the radar" to avoid media coverage of the affair, and makes a direct appeal to the President of the Republic to intervene.

115 hectares of forest threatened with declassification

Babacar Diouf, another member of the collective, warns of the scale of potential losses.

"The plan is to give 115 hectares to the holding company. If this project succeeds, we will have nothing left for future generations. This land can benefit hundreds of people, not just one private company," he argues.

He also criticizes the attitude of local authorities who, according to him, apply "the law of the strongest" by excluding citizens from discussions about their own heritage.

Contradiction with international commitments

The groups reiterate that declassifying the forest is a serious matter requiring a presidential decree. They emphasize the inconsistency of such a project at a time when Senegal is actively participating in COP30 in Belém, one of whose main themes is forest protection.

"To jeopardize a 115-hectare forest in order to award it to a private individual is to turn our backs on the country's international commitments," they insist.

A repeated injustice

According to the groups, this is the third meeting organised by the sub-prefect on this matter, and each time their participation is restricted or refused.

"They choose who gets in and who doesn't. It's a blatant injustice," denounces one member, who claims to have unsuccessfully requested the postponement or relocation of the meeting to guarantee access for all.

Residents condemn practices of corruption and exclusion, which they say run counter to the principles of transparency and social justice. "The authorities have sold us a bill of goods. This has to start with the officials and business leaders who use bribery to get what they want. These are practices that must be eradicated," he denounces.

The communities of Dougar say they are determined to continue their fight to preserve their land, their heritage, and the future of their children. They are calling for direct intervention from the President of the Republic to stop what they consider to be land grabbing.