I had not previously seen much publicity on this alarming issue. Are
things as bad in the Gambia?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 16:36:31 -0700
From: charlotte utting <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [WASAN] FW: FOSG News: Brief Rain Fails to Dent Drought and
Famine Threat
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From: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 13:29:53 EDT
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FOSG News: Brief Rain Fails to Dent Drought and Famine Threat
Brief Rain Fails to Dent Drought and Famine Threat
allAfrica.com
NEWS
August 11, 2002
Posted to the web August 12, 2002
By Ofeibea Quist-Arcton
Dakar, Senegal
'Alhamdoulillahı ('Thank God') is the prayer of most Senegalese after the
first rains in almost a month fell on Saturday night in the capital, Dakar
and other parts of the country.
The short-lived rainfall came a day after the government launched an urgent
appeal for foreign assistance against the threat of drought and famine in
Senegal. Though the authorities have acknowledged there are serious
problems, critics say their response is belated.
The call for international help was made Friday by the Agriculture Minister,
Pape Diouf, at a briefing for diplomats and aid partners. Diouf told them
that Senegal alone could not cope with the crisis.
Meanwhile, the governing Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) of President
Abdoulaye Wade, and its political coalition Cap 21, led a weekend of "study
and reflection". The aim was to assess how to tackle the problems brought on
by the late start to the rainy season and how best to meet the needs of the
rural population.
The meetings follow sharp and repeated criticism of Wadeıs government by
farmers and cattle herders nationwide, who say their calls for help have
fallen on deaf ears.
Good harvests in 2000 and 2001 were undermined by failed management of
agricultural 'commercialisation' campaigns of Senegal's key groundnut crop
production over the past two years.
The government again came under fire in the weekend newspapers in a series
of scathing articles and editorials, particularly for failing to assist the
drought-stricken populations in the rural areas.
The leading private daily, Wal-Fadjri, denounced Senegalıs leaders, who have
been in power since 2000. "As the issue of survival confronts the ordinary
citizen, VIPs are having it easy," railed the newspaper: "The rural areas
are crying," while the leaders "in their plush and discreet salons" discuss
"the quality of life".
Wal-Fadjri concluded that "a personality cult, opaque government (and)
creeping corruption," characterized Wadeıs administration of the past two
and half years. His electoral victory ended 40 years of leadership of the
Socialist Party, in a poll and transfer of power hailed as among the most
democratic in Africa to date.
Sud Quotidien, another private daily, was equally scornful of Abdoulaye Wade
and his government. In an editorial, it spoke of the 'indecencyı of the new
leadership in Senegal: "With the political change, one would have expected a
new era of prosperity in our country," said the paperıs weekend edition:
"But what has happened is that, after barely two years, everyone everywhere
is disappointed."
Sud Quotidien went on to conclude that "incompetence", "inability to
surround himself with good people" and "poor management" were just some of
the reasons why the government was failing.
The paper also suggested that there was a sense of "immodesty" as those
"running the country enjoy the luxury of official cars and monthly fuel
allowances, regular increases in perks and salaries and decent office
space," while rural people were suffering "lean days and famine".
Agriculture dominates the Senegalese economy and 60 percent out of a
population of 10 million works in this sector, with up to seventy percent
living in the rural areas. The annual per capita income is USD $500.
But the government is not only facing the wrath of the private press. The
National Council for Dialogue and Cooperation of Rural People (CNCR) has
also been complaining; the CNCR represents rural interests and groups
together associations involved in professional activities in the rural
areas. It held an extraordinary congress on Tuesday, with representations
from across the country.
Momodou Cissokho, the honorary president of the CNCR, told the BBC the
situation in rural Senegal was the worst he remembered since the drought of
1973. "Throughout the country we are just not getting rain like we should
do. A calamity is taking place. If, in the next ten days, we donıt get
proper rainfall, it wonıt just be a poor harvest weıll be talking about, but
no harvest at all. That is the situation."
Cissokho blamed government officials who, despite repeated meetings, were
not taking "adequate decisions in time and [who only] recognized very late
indeed, the difficulties being experienced." He said there were some areas
of Senegal where it had not rained for 50 days. "Itıs a situation of
despair, which is really difficult for the peasant farmers and their
animals."
The worst affected areas were north of the Senegal River Valley in "Thies,
Tambacounda, Louga, Kaolack. Seventy percent of the country is seriously
affected," he said. "The government has to start negotiating with us to work
out what to do. They are obliged to send food supplies in. The government
has to come up with a durable rural policy."
Cissokho said he was not convinced that the government understood the
situation, "because they have not invited us in to talk about these things.
A good policy is devised with the support of those who are meant to benefit
from it."
President Wade, who has often accused his opposition critics of political
expediency in exaggerating farmersı grievances, has so far minimized the
current problems. He is expected to hold a news conference to talk about the
crisis in the next few days.
He will have to address the criticisms by rural dwellers of the lack of a
proper policy, forward planning or consultation. Although the government
cannot be blamed for the worst drought years in Senegal, say the farmers, it
must be held to account for not taking the initiative in the current
situation.
The Senegalese leader may also be thanking God - in a deeply devout Muslim
country where lavish celebrations have been discouraged because of the late
rainy season - that the skies opened on Saturday night, albeit briefly. Wade
may hope this will not only give some much-needed relief to a nation
threatened by drought, but also help his critics to cool off a little.
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