In the desert of Lompoulthe company Eramet Grande Côte Use a huge flirt, considered the largest in the world. This colossal machine extracts daily 150,000 tonnes of sand daily, of which only 2 % are kept to target minerals such as ilmenite, rutile and zircon, essential for nuclear and ceramic industries. This activity radically transforms the local landscape.
Since 2014, the French company has been accused of degrading the environment in the region of Niayeswhich produces 60 % of the country’s fruits and vegetables. Whole villages have been moved, destroyed agricultural plots and hundreds of slaughtered trees, while the mine advances thirty meters every day, threatening the regional ecological balance.
Serious consequences on the local ecosystem
Local communities denounce land grabbing and the overexploitation of water resources. Some villagers claim to have received minimum compensation, while others, such as tourist entrepreneurs, fiercely resist expropriations. A situation that has become unlivable for many, which no longer hesitate to be known.
-Growing opposition develops against Eramed. Entrepreneurs, peasants and elected officials as Birame Mbaye Diagne file a complaint, denouncing insufficient compensation. The demonstrations are becoming more and more frequent, with slogans like ” Eramet (That’s enough in Wolof).
An increasingly lively challenge
Despite criticism, the company benefits from institutional supports. Malick Ndiaye, former executive of Eramet who became minister, illustrates these privileged connections. MPs like Guy Marius Sagna try to put pressure for a commission of inquiry, supported by entrepreneurs like Julien Potron which denounce with determination environmental destruction.
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