"A disgrace to the state": Mamadou Mignane Diouf lends his support to the SUNU movement. 37 billion CFA francs

The coordinator of the Senegalese Social Forum, Mamadou Mignane Diouf, offered strong support to Thierno Alassane Sall during the press conference dedicated to the 37 billion CFA franc rural electrification project. Speaking after the member of parliament, he recalled that several civil society organizations had decided to take up the case as soon as the first revelations came to light. "We started with a simple observation: you can't talk about 37 billion CFA francs in Senegalese public finances without civil society, investigative journalists, and political actors trying to understand what happened," he stated.

According to him, several organizations committed to promoting transparency and good governance then formed a monitoring group. These included the Senegalese Social Forum, the Civil Forum, the Forum of the Justiciable, RADDHO, CADD and the 3D program.

This citizens' platform undertook a series of hearings and meetings to reconstruct the project's history and associated funding. The group met several times with Thierno Alassane Sall, as well as former officials involved in managing the rural electrification program. "We heard from all parties who agreed to meet with us in order to cross-reference information and understand what really happened," explained Mamadou Mignane Diouf.

"We knocked on every door."

The association representative stated that civil society organizations attempted to obtain explanations from all stakeholders. Approaches were reportedly made to Arcop (the French regulatory authority for consumer protection), ASER (the Spanish agency for environmental protection), and the Spanish company involved in the project. According to him, some doors remained closed while others agreed to provide information. "We tried to carry out our citizen oversight work independently," he emphasized.

Mamadou Mignane Diouf also praised what he considered the MP's perseverance in pursuing the case. "You have played your role as a representative of the Senegalese people," he told Thierno Alassane Sall. The coordinator of the Senegalese Social Forum emphasized the values of integrity and rigor that he associates with the parliamentarian's actions in this matter.

"It's a disgrace that other countries tell us where our money is."

The civil society activist expressed particular shock that the most accurate information on financial movements now comes from a foreign legal proceeding. "We said from the outset that it would be humiliating for our country if other states had to tell us where Senegalese people's money is," he declared. For him, this situation constitutes "a disgrace to the state" in a context where the authorities regularly emphasize the principles of sovereignty and transparency. "The fact that we are unable to trace the flow of our own public resources is a real slap in the face to our administration," he added.

In conclusion, Mamadou Mignane Diouf called on Senegalese journalists to become more involved in investigations related to public governance. According to him, cases involving billions of CFA francs require in-depth investigations and fieldwork that go beyond mere official statements. He also raised the possibility of launching a citizen mobilization to recover the missing funds. "The question now is simple: will we mobilize to find the 37 billion CFA francs belonging to the Senegalese people?" he asked.