Dakar, Senegal — 'Alhamdoulillah ('Thank God') is the prayer of most Senegalese after the first rains in almost a month fell on Saturday night in the capital, Dakar and other parts of the country.
The short-lived rainfall came a day after the government launched an urgent appeal for foreign assistance against the threat of drought and famine in Senegal. Though the authorities have acknowledged there are serious problems, critics say their response is belated.
The call for international help was made Friday by the Agriculture Minister, Pape Diouf, at a briefing for diplomats and aid partners. Diouf told them that Senegal alone could not cope with the crisis.
Meanwhile, the governing Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) of President Abdoulaye Wade, and its political coalition Cap 21, led a weekend of "study and reflection". The aim was to assess how to tackle the problems brought on by the late start to the rainy season and how best to meet the needs of the rural population.
The meetings follow sharp and repeated criticism of Wades government by farmers and cattle herders nationwide, who say their calls for help have fallen on deaf ears.
Good harvests in 2000 and 2001 were undermined by failed management of agricultural 'commercialisation' campaigns of Senegal's key groundnut crop production over the past two years.
The government again came under fire in the weekend newspapers in a series of scathing articles and editorials, particularly for failing to assist the drought-stricken populations in the rural areas.
The leading private daily, Wal-Fadjri, denounced Senegals leaders, who have been in power since 2000. "As the issue of survival confronts the ordinary citizen, VIPs are having it easy," railed the newspaper: "The rural areas are crying," while the leaders "in their plush and discreet salons" discuss "the quality of life".
Wal-Fadjri concluded that "a personality cult, opaque government (and) creeping corruption," characterized Wades administration of the past two and half years. His electoral victory ended 40 years of leadership of the Socialist Party, in a poll and transfer of power hailed as among the most democratic in Africa to date.
Sud Quotidien, another private daily, was equally scornful of Abdoulaye Wade and his government. In an editorial, it spoke of the 'indecency of the new leadership in Senegal: "With the political change, one would have expected a new era of prosperity in our country," said the papers weekend edition: "But what has happened is that, after barely two years, everyone everywhere is disappointed."
Sud Quotidien went on to conclude that "incompetence", "inability to surround himself with good people" and "poor management" were just some of the reasons why the government was failing.
The paper also suggested that there was a sense of "immodesty" as those "running the country enjoy the luxury of official cars and monthly fuel allowances, regular increases in perks and salaries and decent office space," while rural people were suffering "lean days and famine".
Agriculture dominates the Senegalese economy and 60 percent out of a population of 10 million works in this sector, with up to seventy percent living in the rural areas. The annual per capita income is USD $500.
But the government is not only facing the wrath of the private press. The National Council for Dialogue and Cooperation of Rural People (CNCR) has also been complaining; the CNCR represents rural interests and groups together associations involved in professional activities in the rural areas. It held an extraordinary congress on Tuesday, with representations from across the country.
Momodou Cissokho, the honorary president of the CNCR, told the BBC the situation in rural Senegal was the worst he remembered since the drought of 1973. "Throughout the country we are just not getting rain like we should do. A calamity is taking place. If, in the next ten days, we dont get proper rainfall, it wont just be a poor harvest well be talking about, but no harvest at all. That is the situation."
Cissokho blamed government officials who, despite repeated meetings, were not taking "adequate decisions in time and [who only] recognized very late indeed, the difficulties being experienced." He said there were some areas of Senegal where it had not rained for 50 days. "Its a situation of despair, which is really difficult for the peasant farmers and their animals."
The worst affected areas were north of the Senegal River Valley in "Thies, Tambacounda, Louga, Kaolack. Seventy percent of the country is seriously affected," he said. "The government has to start negotiating with us to work out what to do. They are obliged to send food supplies in. The government has to come up with a durable rural policy."
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Cissokho said he was not convinced that the government understood the situation, "because they have not invited us in to talk about these things. A good policy is devised with the support of those who are meant to benefit from it."
President Wade, who has often accused his opposition critics of political expediency in exaggerating farmers grievances, has so far minimized the current problems. He is expected to hold a news conference to talk about the crisis in the next few days.
He will have to address the criticisms by rural dwellers of the lack of a proper policy, forward planning or consultation. Although the government cannot be blamed for the worst drought years in Senegal, say the farmers, it must be held to account for not taking the initiative in the current situation.
The Senegalese leader may also be thanking God - in a deeply devout Muslim country where lavish celebrations have been discouraged because of the late rainy season - that the skies opened on Saturday night, albeit briefly. Wade may hope this will not only give some much-needed relief to a nation threatened by drought, but also help his critics to cool off a little.
