Senegal: a month's respite before the temporary closure of the Sandaga market

Text by: RFI Follow

In Senegal, in the heart of Dakar, the historic Sandaga market, which dates from 1933, must be destroyed and rehabilitated, but its traders gained another month of respite, before being evicted from the places they were supposed to leave on Friday. July 3.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Dakar, Théa Ollivier

The destruction of the market was initially to take place next August. Determined, the merchants have obtained yet another deadline and it is with relief that the Sandaga merchants learned of the postponement of the demolition of the historic Dakar market.

They will have until two days after Tabaski, the feast of the sacrifice of the sheep planned for the end of July, to leave the premises and settle on the site of resettlement provided by the Ministry of Town Planning.

The news was announced on the spot in the evening by the Minister of the Interior, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, on the instruction of the President of the Republic Macky Sall.

For Dame Niang, spokesperson for the traders, it is a wise decision of the state authorities, because the traders were not ready to move. Many had ordered goods to sell before the holiday, a period of high household consumption. So many products that they could not have sold, if they had left the premises in a hurry.

However, the fight is far from over. According to Dame Niang, leaving the Sandaga market two days after Tabaski is impracticable, as many traders spend the party in the village where they usually stay for two weeks.

Once started, state-funded market rehabilitation work is expected to take a year and a half.

► Read also: Senegal: traders opposed to the Sandaga market project

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Senegal