Power cuts in Ziguinchor: Vision Citoyenne raises its voice and demands the truth

During a press conference held in Ziguinchor, near the offices of the national electricity company (SENELEC), Madia Diop Sané, national coordinator of the Citizen Vision movement, strongly denounced the power outages that have plagued the country for several weeks. He accused SENELEC of lacking transparency and respect for citizens, while threatening a national mobilization if no solution is found. “The Senegalese people have had enough; this has to stop,” he declared.

Madia Diop Sané began his speech by thanking the members of Vision Citoyenne, “tireless fighters for the right cause,” before making an alarming observation: for more than three weeks, Senegalese people have been living through an ordeal marked by incessant power cuts. “It’s as if the Senegalese people have been transformed into a wretched people, the wretched of Victor Hugo,” he illustrated.

The national coordinator of Vision Citoyenne criticized Senelec's explanations, which he deemed contradictory and implausible. Insufficient production, heatwave, vandalism of electrical substations… these are just some of the reasons put forward by the national company, but rejected by Vision Citoyenne. “You cannot offer us such base, such simplistic arguments at a time when the Senegalese people are demanding the truth,” Madia Diop Sané insisted, also denouncing the “exorbitant” bills that are fueling consumer anger.

He lamented Senelec's lack of clear communication, believing the company was acting as if it didn't have a communications department. "We pay our bills, we buy electricity, but you're not able to supply us with a sufficient quantity," he insisted, before pointing the finger at the supervising minister, whom he accused of remaining silent in the face of the crisis.

Madia Diop Sané finally issued a warning: if the promises made by the director of Senelec are not kept in the coming days, civil society will file a notice to organize a large national march. “We believe this is unacceptable and we will not hesitate to call upon all organizations and all Senegalese citizens who cherish justice to demand that Senelec respect us,” he concluded, reaffirming Vision Citoyenne’s determination to defend the rights of the people.