The rural commune of Mbane has been thrust into national spotlight and controversy following a recent visit by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, as a major land deal with the Senegalese Sugar Company (CSS) triggers backlash from local residents.
On June 12, President Faye toured the facilities of CSS, Senegal’s sole sugar producer and the country’s largest private employer with over 8,000 staff.
He praised the company’s economic role and pledged government backing for its expansion goals — notably, a plan to boost production from 140,000 to 220,000 tons annually by 2030.
Following the visit, local authorities granted CSS over 1,000 hectares of arable land in the village of Mourseyni, located within the Mbane municipality.
While heralded as a strategic step toward food self-sufficiency, the move has sparked anger among residents, many of whom were cultivating or preparing to cultivate the same land for community agriculture projects.
“This land is ours.
We were never consulted,” said local villager Ousseynou Boh, denouncing what he described as a top-down, rushed expropriation process.
Community sources also reported that an additional 34 hectares might be quietly absorbed into the deal.
Concerns extend beyond agriculture.
A local schoolteacher, speaking on SudFM radio, warned that expanding CSS operations would bring industrial activity dangerously close to educational infrastructure, threatening both safety and access for students.
For many, the promise of economic modernization is colliding with fears of displacement and cultural erosion.
The dispute highlights a growing dilemma at the heart of Senegal’s development strategy: balancing industrial growth with the protection of rural livelihoods.
For President Faye, determined to revive national productivity and reduce reliance on imports, Mbane presents a difficult test of inclusive governance.
Critics argue that without comprehensive consultations and safeguards, such projects risk deepening social divides.
As Senegal pushes for economic transformation, the challenge will be ensuring that progress is not achieved at the expense of the very communities it seeks to uplift.
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