Ahead of the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, women in Senegal marched through Dakar on Saturday to demand climate justice. Approximately 50 activists gathered to call for the protection of the country’s resources and a decarbonized future.
Cheikh Niang Faye, a former tour guide, expressed frustration over four years of protests yielding little change. “They’re spending billions on conferences but owe us billions in compensation. It’s the industrialized nations that have caused these greenhouse gases,” she stated.
This year, record floods in Senegal have affected tens of thousands and damaged over 1,000 hectares of crops. Activists argue that those responsible for emissions owe Africa reparations for the climate-related suffering.
Khady Faye, an activist from the Saloum Delta, emphasized the need to protect local communities from coastal erosion exacerbated by oil drilling. She urged, “Leave the gas at Sangomar underground, and let the community live normally. We want climate justice.”
Khady Camara, the march’s main organizer, called for countries to respect the Paris Agreement, urging polluting nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which she identified as the root of Africa’s climate catastrophes.