ASER-AEE Power Affair: Bachir Fofana sheds "light" on the 37 billion

On Thursday, June 11, journalist Bachir Fofana held a book signing for his work, "AEE POWER EPC, AEE POWER Senegal: Shedding Light on 37 Billion in the Dark." Published by Le Quotidien, the book attempts to shed light on a case that continues to generate controversy.

Whether by chance or design, June 11th is symbolic. It marks two years since the disbursement of 37 billion CFA francs, representing the initial advance, for the rural electrification project involving ASER and AEE Power EPC. As a reminder, these funds constitute the initial advance for the project to electrify 1,740 villages, totaling 91.8 billion CFA francs. This ambitious initiative has not yet fulfilled all its promises and is shrouded in uncertainty regarding the allocation of the funds. Indeed, of the 1,740 villages ultimately slated for electrification, only 40 have received power so far, according to Jean-Michel Sene of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER). Moreover, the project seems to have stalled—in part—due to Banco Santander's suspension of funds because of serious concerns about the use of the money already disbursed. Bachir Fofana, a journalist and columnist, attempted to shed light on these uncertainties in his first book, "AEE POWER EPC, AEE POWER Senegal: Shedding Light on 37 Billion in the Darkness." Mbaye Thiam, moderator of the book launch, described the work as "an archival document." This description is significant because it refers to Bachir Fofana's other area of expertise: archival science. For the book's preface, the author turned to Elimane Haby Kane, former executive director of the Civil Forum. "It is a reference work in terms of journalistic quality," he stated, "it is a well-researched and well-informed document." “This is truly an investigative journalism approach,” he said during his presentation of the work. He also believes that this product is very timely and could become a benchmark in promoting transparency and public procurement.

Elimane Haby Kane: "An approach that is not accusatory but explanatory"

“This work does not aim to point fingers, much less serve partisan interests,” Bachir Fofana states in the foreword. The author of the preface seems to have found this statement reassuring: “Indeed, he has maintained a methodical approach. An approach that is not accusatory but explanatory, based on a rigorous investigation that justifies the attached documents.” Beyond this exercise in sincerity, the civil society actor was struck by the author's style. According to him, “he manages to demonstrate the profound inefficiency in the execution of public contracts in relation to the scale of urgent social needs. From this perspective, diverting a single franc from a public contract intended to build infrastructure meant to meet the needs of the Senegalese people is scandalous.” The author of the preface believes that a resolution to this affair is far from certain, given the latest developments. "But this work and Bachir's conclusions do indeed invite us to this citizen vigilance, but also provide incisive guidance to strengthen the transparency of public procurement," says the preface writer, who specifies that Bachir Fofana wants a refounding of the governance of public action in the country.

The event's organizer, dressed in a blue suit and burgundy tie, took to the podium. At the start of his remarks, he thanked all the speakers and resource people who had helped him with the fundraising. Remaining consistent with his journalistic approach, Bachir Fofana stated that his book is based on facts. He believes that "when opinions differ, the only thing we can agree on is the facts." A book of "proof," of "betrayed opinions"—this is how the aspiring author described this "colossal" market.

A long-term project

As is customary in an investigation, a central question arises. In this case, it is: "How could 37 billion, equivalent to 40% of the market, be disbursed in a 92 billion contract, and yet, as of December 19, 2025, only 25 villages out of 1,740 were electrified?" The author detailed the method praised by Elimane Haby Kane. "We examined the documents, we examined the reports, we examined the court decisions, we examined the public statements of the various stakeholders, we examined internal communications," he revealed. Continuing, the writer brandished a stack of documents received from an anonymous source. With these files in hand, and acting on journalistic instinct, Bachir Fofane explained that he first verified their authenticity and then conducted a more in-depth investigation. “This is just a portion of the documents used. To do this work, we needed no less than 600 pages of documents that we read, reread, analyzed, and synthesized. We also needed at least 50 hours of video footage that we reviewed,” he explains. According to him, the author's objective is not to create a sensation or add fuel to an already heated controversy. He maintains that he focused on highlighting the mechanisms that allowed “a vital project” for thousands of families in rural areas to “turn into a national crisis.” What the author finds particularly disheartening is the apparent disregard he shows for the matter in the eyes of the judicial authorities. As an example, he cited the case concerning the management of the COVID-19 relief funds, which amounted to 6 billion CFA francs. This sum prompted the Attorney General, the Public Prosecutor and the Financial Pool to face the press on April 17, 2025. "So 37 billion have disappeared, no official communication, no communication from where we should have expected it," he believes.

Bachir Fofana: "Citizens deserve the light, both literally and figuratively."

Further on, he reiterated his desire to provide explanations in this matter without pointing the finger at anyone: "This book doesn't accuse, it presents; it doesn't seek uproar, it seeks clarity and enlightenment. It recalls a simple truth: 'A state is only strong if it accepts being held accountable.'" According to its author, this book is also a kind of civic contribution. He hopes that his initiative will help normalize "accountability" out of respect for citizens and "the spirit of the republic." Since the topic of electricity was raised, Bachir Fofana offered a vivid analogy: "Citizens deserve light, both literally and figuratively." This book signing was graced by the large turnout of well-known figures from the political and media worlds. Present in the audience and speaking to offer his reaction, Thierno Alassane Sall congratulated the author on his initiative. The man who has been leading this fight from the start has stated that further developments are expected. He has scheduled a press conference for this Friday, June 12th. The saga of the 37 billion is far from over.