The bustling streets of Senegal’s capital Dakar were the scene of a major climate protest this weekend. Dedicated and determined women led the march to demand climate justice ahead of the UN COP29 summit in Azerbaijan this month.
Banded together in a group of nearly 50 activists, the women spoke out strongly about their commitment to protecting the country’s natural resources and calling for a decarbonized future. Among them, Cheikh Niang Faye, a former tour guide, said that despite four years of protests, little concrete progress has been made. She highlighted the responsibility of industrialized countries for the rise in greenhouse gases, blaming them for climate change and demanding fair compensation for the damage inflicted.
The situation is particularly critical for women living in rural areas, who are bearing the brunt of the negative impacts of global warming. This year’s record floods in Senegal have affected tens of thousands of people and destroyed more than 1,000 hectares of crops in the north and east of the country. Activists insist that countries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions owe Africa a debt for the suffering caused by climate change.
Khady Faye, from Senegal’s Saloum Delta region, has drawn attention to the devastating coastal erosion affecting her community. She has particularly criticized the start of production at the Sangomar offshore drilling site by Australian group Woodside Energy, saying economic interests should not take precedence over preserving the environment and local populations.
Ahead of the climate summit, Dakar-based activist Khady Camara has issued an urgent call for countries to respect the Paris Agreement. She stresses the need for industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, stressing that these are at the root of the climate disasters that Africa is facing.
This climate march in Dakar reflects an unprecedented citizen mobilization in favor of climate justice. The voices of Senegalese women resonate strongly, calling for concrete and urgent action to protect the environment and vulnerable communities from the challenges of climate change.