Senegal is facing floods of its two rivers rarely seen since the 1950s. All the localities crossed by the River Senegal are watered by chaotic unprecedented floods.  On the entire right bank of the river; villages are submerged, fields destroyed, livestock lost and habitats completely submerged. In Aroundou, Golmy, Kounghani, Tuabou, Manael, Moudery, Diawara, Dembancané, Yaféra, Waoundé, the river, which has always been the best friend of these water people, burst its banks to make all activity impossible and threaten the very existence of the populations. The regions of Tambacounda, Matam, Saint-Louis and Kédougou are all feeling the full force of the rising levels of the Gambia and Senegal rivers, as well as their tributaries. In Kédougou, River Senegal’s tributary, the Falémé, is overflowing its course and cutting off entire villages from the rest of the country.

The passive guilt of the authorities 

This deplorable situation is all the more painful because of the passivity of the public authorities that nothing can justify. There are many victims who are demanding immediate aid from the State of Senegal, while we are struggling to see government or administrative authorities take responsibility and define an action. The timid press release of the Council of Ministers’ on this situation and the few comments disconnected from reality by the Prime Minister in his address to his networks speak volumes about a government that prefers to howl with the wolves, rather than take the problems head on. We are facing a national emergency, but the delay in starting could cost us dearly.

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In the north of the country, several local elected officials and community leaders claim they continuously alerted the public authorities to anticipate the damage that the water of the River Senegal would cause by the end of a rainy winter. No Orsec Plan of anticipation, no organization of rapid responses, no collection of lean food in the face of a possible tragedy, the very Senegalese lack of preparation will have won over our authorities who have had little concern for the seriousness of the humanitarian disaster that would result from the rising waters. I can say that in the columns of the Quotidien in recent weeks, there have always been articles from our correspondents reporting the progressive damage caused by the overflowing of the Gambia and Senegal rivers in their surrounding localities. As much as the press managed to distil such information, it is impossible to conceive that the State did not also have such information. Criminal negligence, coupled with a feeling of distance between the centre and the hinterland, will have caused enormous damage.

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For the time being, it is impossible, along the River Gambia and the course of the Senegal River, to identify all those impacted and to measure the extent of the damage. Rice plantations have been washed away by the waters, along with the harvests in the Senegal River Valley, according to Saed. In the Tambacounda region, several hectares of banana plantations have been damaged, in addition to losing crops of various products. Actors on the ground report the risks of food insecurity and all the health consequences that can result from a situation where populations are cut off from everything. The fact that populations are left to their own devices, without any clear indication and without an outstretched hand from the State, makes the ongoing tragedy in the East and North of Senegal even more unbearable.

From Saint-Louis to Matam, President Faye has a duty to go everywhere

The Senegal River Development Organization (OMVS) is constantly monitoring the crisis, with frequent alerts and information sharing that gives a full measure of the disaster. At the beginning of the week, this organization notified the activation of its orange code for all peripheral towns of the Senegal River. At the same time, it informed of the irreversible risks of major flooding, with the Manantali dam reaching its maximum operating level. The days go by with much more abundant water. There was even a switch to red code in the areas of Bakel, Gouraye, Matam, Podor and Kaedi.

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The announced visit of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to the disaster areas of the Kedougou region, while an Orsec Plan has still not been triggered, will surely help to move the lines and give assurance to the populations that the State really wants to be at their side. Such a visit should not be limited to a region housing one of the tributaries of the Senegal River. There are practically four regions that are engulfed by the waters and the victims have the right to see the guardian of their common destiny promise them solutions. Being a leader means reaching out where one is needed and providing assistance to the most vulnerable. From the top of his station, President Faye must know how to respond to the dismay of his compatriots, and above all, instil hope in them in the face of the worst.

The least of a campaigning PM’s worries 

The leader of the Pastef party, who also serves as Prime Minister, calls on activists and supporters of his political party to contribute to the campaign budget for the legislative elections of November 17.  What an incongruous and undignified invitation in a context where thousands of Senegalese are floundering in the North and East of the country due to the overflowing of the Gambia and Senegal rivers. We can make a religion of not expecting any light from the Prime Minister, but he must face certain tragic situations impacting the Nation, and shed his political mantle and populist guru to think about the fate of the Nation. It would have been great of him to make an appeal for donations from his compatriots, rather than seeking to amass a war chest to campaign.

It will be to the cheers, claps and praises of his troops that he plans to jump into the countryside this Saturday at the Dakar Arena. It could not be more indecent when a country is bleeding due to the vagaries of nature. A sly mind will tell me that the current authorities of Senegal have no place in the North, because they know that it is a lost ground in electoral terms. The more water and floods there are, the more opportunities they have to prevent the election from taking place there. Being cynical and lacking in empathy to this extent is criminal, but the chalice is drunk to the dregs. The artist Kanye West had, during a telethon following Hurricane Katrina, declared live on television that President George W. Bush did not care about the fate of black people (mostly impacted by this tragedy in Louisiana). The indifference of the Senegalese authorities to what is happening in the North of the country can be thought of as a form of punishment against its populations. You understand our bitterness when in such a dark moment, the Prime Minister finds time to harangue his troops and allows invective to overcome him.

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True power has the charm of being supported by clemency, empathy and tolerance. Those high-up, will one day have to get this into their heads so as not to manage a country according to the apprehensions of sympathy or hostility that they think they perceive from populations or from certain specific regions. Men must remember that they are brothers above all and that they will end up in error by wanting to reign everywhere and over everything. The Prime Minister, after having defended an ambitious program for Casamance, should strive not to be the executioner of certain regions of the country. That is social justice and equity between territories. Let us hope that these words will appeal to statesmen and not to pack leaders.

By Serigne Saliou DIAGNE / saliou.diagne@lequotidien.sn 

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH