Senegalese women take aim at polluting countries in march for climate justice

Senegalese women marched successful Dakar for ambiance justness Saturday, calling for what they telephone “polluting countries” to curb greenhouse state emissions up of nan 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) connected November 11

DAKAR, Senegal -- About 50 Senegalese women ambiance activists deed nan streets of Dakar Saturday to request ambiance justness up of COP29 successful a march held annually since 2021, but that organizers opportunity is peculiarly pertinent this year.

Participants yelled “Down pinch capitalism! Down pinch polluting countries!” arsenic they marched done Dakar’s Medina neighborhood, carrying banners and signs demanding protection of Senegal’s resources and calling for a decarbonized future.

“It’s been 4 years that we’ve been marching, and nothing’s changed. They’re spending billions to do their conferences, but they beryllium america billions successful compensation,” said Cheikh Niange Faye, a erstwhile circuit guideline from Senegal’s Thiès region, referring to nan countries responsible for nan mostly of greenhouse state emissions.

“Us successful nan agrarian world, women from nan agrarian world, this twelvemonth we person seen a batch of floods.”

This twelvemonth saw grounds breaking floods crossed nan Sahel, and Senegal was nary exception. Flooding successful caller months has near tens of thousands of group affected and much than 1,000 hectares of crops damaged successful nan northbound and eastbound of nan state according to authorities figures.

Activists successful Senegal opportunity nan countries responsible for greenhouse state emissions beryllium Africa for nan suffering caused by nan effects of ambiance change, citing information from nan Carbon Disclosure Project that puts nan continent’s stock of world emissions astatine conscionable 3.8%.

Khady Camara is an activistic based successful Dakar and nan main organizer of nan Senegal women’s ambiance march. She said up of nan COP29 she is calling connected countries to respect nan Paris Agreement.

Khady Faye is an biology activistic who traveled to Dakar from her location adjacent Senegal’s Saloum Delta, a region which has suffered devastating coastal erosion.

Production astatine Senegal’s first offshore drilling tract astatine nan Sangomar lipid fields, disconnected Senegal’s seashore adjacent nan delta, started this year. Australian group Woodside Energy has an 82% liking successful nan project.

“Think astir nan suffering of these communities, deliberation astir nan suffering of these women. Try to time off our delta alone, effort to time off nan state astatine Sangomar underground, to fto nan organization unrecorded normally,” Faye said.