The controversy surrounding the 111 fishing licenses granted under the former Minister of Fisheries, Fatou Diouf, continues to generate reactions. In a statement released this Thursday, June 11, the Jambaars Strategic Unit demands explanations regarding the conditions under which these licenses were awarded and calls on state oversight bodies to investigate the matter.

The movement says it is expressing its "deep indignation" at a situation it considers worrying, in a context where artisanal fishermen face many difficulties, while fish stocks are dwindling and fish prices continue to rise.

For the Jambaars executives, the publication of the list of beneficiaries is not enough to dispel the questions. "The publication of a list cannot constitute absolution. Transparency cannot be decreed after the fact; it is assessed through the legality of the actions taken, their economic justification and their impact on the strategic interests of Senegal," they maintain.

Faced with what they consider a matter of economic and food sovereignty for the country, the Jambaars executives are demanding "the immediate precautionary cancellation of the 111 fishing licenses" as well as "the opening of a thorough investigation by the General State Inspectorate (IGE)." They are also calling for "the National Office for the Fight Against Fraud and Corruption (OFNAC) to initiate an investigation to determine whether there has been any corruption, influence peddling, or conflicts of interest" and want the courts to be involved in order to "establish all responsibilities."

In their statement, they reiterate that "fisheries resources constitute a strategic national heritage" and believe that they cannot be subject to decisions that could further weaken a sector already under pressure.

“Every license must be audited. Every beneficiary must be identified. Every decision must be justified. Every responsibility must be assumed,” insist the Jambaars executives, before adding that “when it comes to the economic and food sovereignty of Senegal, no gray area can be tolerated.”

The organization concluded by calling for a full investigation into the matter, stating that "the sea belongs to the Senegalese people, not to networks of influence." This statement reignites the debate surrounding the management of fisheries resources and the conditions for granting fishing licenses in Senegal.