DAKAR, Senegal — Approximately 50 women climate activists gathered in Dakar on Saturday, rallying for climate justice as they prepared for COP29. This demonstration, which has taken place annually since 2021, carries added significance this year, according to the event organizers.
Participants chanted slogans like “Down with capitalism! Down with polluting countries!” while marching through the Medina district of Dakar. They wielded banners and signs that demanded the protection of Senegal’s natural resources, alongside calls for a future free of carbon emissions.
“We have been marching for four years, and yet nothing has changed. They are spending billions on their conferences, but they owe us billions in compensation,” said Cheikh Niange Faye, a former tour guide from Senegal’s Thiès region. He referenced the nations that are the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
“Here in rural areas, we women have witnessed an increase in flooding this year.” Senegal, along with the Sahel region, has experienced unprecedented flooding, which has left tens of thousands impacted and over 1,000 hectares of crops ruined in the northern and eastern parts of the country, according to government statistics.
Activists argue that those countries that are significant emitters of greenhouse gases owe a debt to Africa for the adverse consequences stemming from climate change. Data from the Carbon Disclosure Project reveals that Africa contributes merely 3.8% of global emissions.
Khady Camara, a Dakar-based activist and the lead coordinator for the Senegal women’s climate march, emphasized the need for countries to abide by the Paris Agreement as COP29 approaches.
Environmental advocate Khady Faye traveled to Dakar from the Saloum Delta, an area severely impacted by coastal erosion. She highlighted the recent commencement of production at Senegal’s first offshore drilling site in the Sangomar oil fields, located near her region. Woodside Energy, an Australian company, holds an 82% share in this initiative.
“Consider the struggles of these communities and the hardships faced by women. We urge you to leave our delta untouched and keep the gas in Sangomar underground, so that our community can live peacefully,” Faye implored.