Demba Kandji, the Ombudsman of the Republic, revealed that he handles at least 400 cases per year. He made this announcement to administrative and local authorities in the Ziguinchor region, following the presentation of the Ombudsman's annual report for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

According to Mr. Kandji, there was a 60% satisfaction rate, and land issues ranked first among complaints. This exercise is a matter of accountability. "My visit to Ziguinchor is motivated by my duty to account," said the mediator, who claims to be entrusted with the mission of transmitting citizens' complaints to the administration and organizations responsible for providing public services. Demba Kandji specified that he had submitted his annual report to the President of the Republic. This had been the case since last March, in accordance with the law governing his role.

 

Thus, the meeting in Ziguinchor is an essential step in his mission: "I have a duty to return to the people for a report. It is a rendering of accounts, as part of a mission that I carry out in the name of the rule of law that exists in Senegal."

 

Reviewing the results of the Ombudsman's Office, Mr. Kandji revealed that land remains the most recurring issue, affecting both rural and urban areas. "It is the primary concern. Land conflicts are at the heart of the complaints. People return and find other people on their land who do not have the same rights."

 

These complex disputes, often linked to post-crisis resettlement, raise tensions around land ownership. "These are people who have been here for 10 or 15 years, who are now claiming rights to land that does not belong to them," insisted the Ombudsman, who took the opportunity to call for a concerted approach to these conflicts.

In addition to this work of restitution or accountability, Demba Kandji was approached by local populations. Their grievances related to the return and resettlement of displaced persons, in this post-conflict context in Casamance. These concerns also concerned the state of the roads, a hindrance to the region's economic development.

To these questions, the Ombudsman of the Republic pleaded in favor of state intervention. "We must ask the state to rebuild the roads. They are avenues for development. It is vital for the economy of Casamance and the well-being of the population."

Demba Kandji therefore stressed the importance of taking into account the specificities of Casamance, a region which, according to him, is in the process of "healing the wounds of a painful past."