APIX housing estate: Threatened with eviction and dragged into court, residents are mobilizing against "land grabbing"

While they are being praised from all sides for having escaped severe flooding thanks to an exceptional wastewater and stormwater drainage system, the residents of the APIX housing complex have gathered for an emergency rally. They intend to denounce the legal threats and land-related schemes that are impacting their living environment and several of their representatives.

Speaking on behalf of the mobilized population, Ousmane Ndiaye, spokesperson for the day, expressed the distress and indignation of the residents in the face of what he describes as abusive prosecutions and "slanderous denunciations".

At the heart of the tensions: the summons to court for summary proceedings of several delegates and figures from the community, scheduled for October 15. A situation deemed unacceptable by the residents, who point out that this city was designed and developed under the auspices of the State of Senegal, with the support of international donors, in order to rehouse populations impacted by the construction of the toll highway.

“This mobilization is one of last resort, a mobilization of desperation, an appeal to the authorities of this country,” Mr. Ndiaye insisted.

Ousmane Ndiaye continued: "How can this happen in a country that respects itself? Citizens settled under an official resettlement program are now being dragged into court by individuals who came from nowhere," he wondered.

For the city spokesperson, the case goes beyond the confines of their neighborhood. Residents see it as a telling symbol of the land-related abuses plaguing several localities and urban areas across the country.

Referring to the recent floods observed in other areas, such as the Catchment Zone, residents denounce the grip of "land crime" and the "unscrupulous" role of certain officials familiar with administrative workings.

“There are problems everywhere, and the root cause remains land-related crime,” denounced the residents’ representative.

“We are ignoring the most basic rules of urban planning to change the use of land, in contempt of the safety and well-being of the population,” Mr. Ndiaye protested.

As the October 15 deadline approaches, the residents of Cité APIX reaffirm their commitment to respecting the law and the urban planning rules initially established.

They are demanding the strict adherence to their city's master plan and the cessation of proceedings against their representatives. Aspiring to peace and the preservation of their living environment, particularly during this rainy season, the residents warn that they will remain steadfast and mobilized to defend their rights and the exemplary nature of their city.