HIGHLIGHT:  Pencum WARC / WARC Forum: Dynamiques Migratoires au Sénégal: Esquisse d’une Approche Nouvelle (Migration Dynamics in Senegal : Outlining a New Approach)

The second panel held at the West African Research Center (WARC) as part of the agenda of Pencum WARC/WARC Forum took place on Thursday October 21^st on the topic of Migration Dynamics in Senegal: Outlining a New Approach.

The panel expertly moderated by Professor Ndioro Ndiaye, former Minister of Social Welfare in the senegalese government and former Director General of the UN international organization for migrations included Professor Pape Sakho, a specialist of transportation, urban mobility and migrations at University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dr Serigne Mansour Tall, specializing in urban development and international migrations and Dr Awa Diop, a sociologist working with the spanish international NGO Medicos del Mundo.

Right at the outset, Professor Sakho and Dr Serigne Mansour Tall stressed the fact that Senegal, as a crossroads, has been experiencing immigration and emigration flows for a long time. Senegalese emigrants are all over the world and primarily in other parts of Africa (Congo, Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia etc…) even though departures have been recently reduced by the economic crisis and the Covid pandemic while many other africans from neighboring countries (Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Mali, the Gambia etc…..) have been established in Senegal for decades. They also discussed the changing dynamics of emigration which, initially, involved ethnic networks operating from Sandaga market  with destinations such as western european countries and the US whereas, nowadays, Argentina, Mexico and other south and latin american countries are regularly visited by Senegalese planning to settle there or to cross over to the US.

Dr Awa Diop insisted on the need to change the Eldorado myth surrounding emigration: young men leaving the country only to come back for vacation a few months or years later their pockets and wallets full of valuable foreign currencies (euros, dollars). She lamented the fact that such a myth is regularly fueled by artists, the media and even senegalese families and called on senegalese decision-makers to engage in information campaigns to curb the temptation to engage in risky travels and voyages to illusory lands of milk and honey.

The event, which was streamed live on Youtube, was also attended at WARC by 58 people and covered by the local media.

Photo 1:

from left to right : Dr Serigne Mansour Tall, UAMBD , Dr Awa Diop, Medicos del Mundo , Pr Ndioro Ndiaye , former Minister of Social Welfare & Pr Pape Sakho, Department of Geography, UCAD

Note: You can follow the panel proceedings on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX82u6bJ268