As the United Nations COP29 summit approaches in Azerbaijan, women in Senegal took to the streets of Dakar on Saturday, demanding climate justice. The march, attended by approximately 50 climate activists, focused on the urgent need to protect the country’s natural resources and advocate for a decarbonized future.
A former tour guide expressed frustration at the lack of progress over the past four years of protests, stating, “They’re spending billions to hold their conferences, yet they owe us billions in compensation. It is these industrialized nations in their pursuit of development that have caused the greenhouse gas emissions.”
Activists highlighted the disproportionate impact of global warming on women, particularly in rural areas. This year, Senegal has experienced unprecedented flooding that has affected tens of thousands of people and damaged over 1,000 hectares of crops in the northern and eastern regions.
The demonstrators emphasized that countries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions owe Africa reparations for the suffering caused by climate change. One activist, who traveled from the Saloum Delta—a region plagued by severe coastal erosion—called for an end to exploitation of the area’s resources.
The Sangomar oil fields, Senegal’s first offshore drilling site located near the Saloum Delta, began production this year, with Australian company Woodside Energy holding an 82 percent stake in the project. The activist urged, “Consider the suffering of these communities. Please leave our delta intact; leave the gas in Sangomar underground so that the community can live normally. We demand climate justice in the Saloum Delta.”
The main organizer of the march called on nations to respect the Paris Agreement ahead of the climate summit. “It is time for polluting countries to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, as this is the root cause of the disasters that Africa is facing,” she stated.
