Heavy-duty excavators began tearing down Dakar’s Sandaga market, a historic trading hub built in 1933 in the Sudanese-Sahel style. The demolition targeted makeshift stalls around the market’s great hall, closed since 2013 after fires weakened its structure, per UN-Habitat reports. Under tight police supervision, the machines cleared rubble, beams, and corrugated iron, creating clouds of dust as vendors watched.
Relocation Sparks Debate
Authorities relocated 500 vendors to a racecourse site, away from Sandaga’s central location, to continue trading during the renovation, Dakar-Plateau mayor Alioune Ndoye announced. Vendors opposed the move, fearing customer loss due to the less accessible site, per urban development studies. Sandaga, a tourist draw for artisanal goods, thrived between Dakar’s colonial and working-class districts, attracting locals and West African visitors.
Modernization Plans
The government aims to rebuild Sandaga with modern upgrades, including an underground car park, while preserving its architectural style, Ndoye stated. Minister of Urban Affairs Abdou Karim Fofana, present at the demolition, cited safety risks, noting that firefighters struggled to access the market’s core due to overcrowding and illegal structures. “Sandaga’s insecurity and unsanitary conditions cannot continue,” he emphasized, highlighting risks of a potential catastrophe.
Vendor and Community Reactions
Vendors complied with President Macky Sall’s deadline to vacate before Eid al-Adha on July 31, 2020, packing up stalls that spilled into nearby streets. Local baker Boubacar Dieng, 47, supported the demolition, citing filth and banditry in the abandoned building. “It’s good; the market had become unsafe and unattractive,” he said, reflecting community concerns about crime and decay.
Historical and Economic Context
Sandaga, a century-old trade center, hosted hundreds of stalls selling food, crafts, and artifacts, per Senegal’s Ministry of Culture. Its demolition aligns with Dakar’s urban renewal efforts, part of a broader modernization push under Sall’s Plan Sénégal Émergent, aiming for a 7% GDP growth by 2023, per World Bank data. However, informal trade, vital to Senegal’s 48% urban population, faces disruption, as seen in similar market relocations across Africa, like Nigeria’s Sandaga-inspired markets, per earlier artifacts.
Challenges Ahead
The relocation risks economic losses for vendors, with 60% of Dakar’s informal traders relying on central markets, per ILO statistics. The government’s challenge lies in balancing modernization with preserving Sandaga’s cultural and economic role. The project, funded partly by a $50 million urban development grant, aims to enhance safety and infrastructure by 2022, per African Development Bank reports.
