Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games: Sports construction project halted in Keur Massar, the town hall blames the DGSCOS

With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) approaching, a construction project intended to strengthen the sports infrastructure in Keur Massar Nord has come to a standstill. The municipality has announced the forced interruption of work on the development of a synthetic pitch at the Terminus 54 sports complex, better known as "the Jumbo market pitch".

According to the municipality headed by Adama Sarr, the site, the exclusive property of the commune, had been voluntarily made available to the Municipal Development Agency (ADM) as part of the preparations for the Youth Olympic Games. However, the work was recently halted by the Commander of the Zonal Brigade of the General Directorate for Land Use Monitoring and Control (DGSCOS).

This situation now casts doubt on the delivery of the equipment. In a statement published on August 28, the Keur Massar Nord municipality stated that it "completely" disclaims any responsibility for the potential delay in the construction and the consequences this could have on the Youth Olympic Games schedule.

The municipality also announced its intention to formally contact the DGSCOS (Directorate General for Social Cohesion and Urban Planning) to ascertain the reasons for this work stoppage and to determine whether there is a dispute or complaint justifying the suspension of the work. It warned that the DGSCOS would be held responsible for any "inconvenience, damages, and malfunctions" related to this interruption.

Beyond the institutional dispute, a question now arises as to why a construction project undertaken as part of the preparations for an international event has been interrupted and on what basis? A response from the DGSCOS is awaited.