Residents of the resettlement area, displaced during the construction of the Dakar-Diamniadio toll highway, expressed their anger this Sunday. Gathering in a public assembly, they denounced broken promises and land practices they consider illegal.

Their spokesperson, Papa Badiane, first emphasized the long duration of the conflict and the feeling of betrayal.

"It's a long battle. We were deceived, because what they made us believe at the beginning contradicts what is happening now," he lamented.

He then pointed the finger at administrative obstacles.

"The director of Apix (Agency for the Promotion of Investment and Major Works) refused to meet with us and put us in contact with agents. They offered to give us leases, which we strictly refused. We want our property titles," he said bluntly.

Even worse, according to him, dialogue with local authorities seems to have broken down.

"We sent a letter to the governor of Dakar, but it went unanswered. We categorically reject this injustice."

With this determination, the spokesperson clearly announced that the struggle would continue regardless of the regime in power.

"We fought with the outgoing regime until now, and we are ready to do the same with anyone who wants to subject us to these underhanded schemes. We hoped to see changes with the current regime, and that is not the case," he laments.

Finally, he reaffirmed their property rights over the land and issued an unequivocal warning.

"The Pikine to Fass Mbao area still belongs to us, because we haven't received our papers. If this continues, we will block the toll highway because this land is still ours. We were sold this land. They should respect their word, otherwise we will stop at nothing and no one," warned the spokesperson.

Long-standing demands ignored

The affected populations point out that the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), approved by the State and the World Bank, stipulated the allocation of 2,039 plots of land for residential use. Twelve years later, many families have still not received their land titles, a situation that fuels tensions and legal insecurity.

According to the protesters, the authorities have not responded to their demands. The Governor of Dakar reportedly did not reply to their letter, while Apix (the agency responsible for the development of Dakar) only offered leases, which were rejected by the residents who are demanding full land titles.

Faced with what they consider a persistent injustice, residents warn they are prepared to block the toll highway to make their voices heard. They also denounce land speculation and the actions of "land grabbers" who they believe are taking advantage of the situation.