Strikes? Riots? Not here.

written Sunday, 25 November 2007

 

When I came to Tamba from the village a few days ago, I heard from other volunteers, and then read in an email from Peace Corps staff, that there have been lots of strikes in Dakar over the last few days, and even instances of people throwing rocks at police.

 

Strikes aren't anything new here - the teachers always seem to be on strike, seriously impeding children's ability to get an education here.  But this time it sounded like things might be serious - rocks thrown at police, the police responding with tear gas, Peace Corps advising volunteers not to travel to Dakar right now.

 

I've heard that the strikes and riots are about recent rises in the price of wheat flour and gas (gasoline or cooking gas, I'm not sure - could be both).  Also that President Wade is trying to cut the salaries of civil servents, that journalists have been tossed in jail, and even a rumor that he had had some shantytown market area of Dakar bulldozed, destroying people's businesses, supposedly because the corrugated metal and scrapwood buildings didn't fit with his idea of what Dakar is supposed to look like.

 

All rumors.  I have no idea what's true, except that I know that the price of flour, and thus bread, has gone up recently.  And it seems pretty safe to assume that gas prices are going up, because that's the world trend these days. (Neither are a big part of the economy in the villages here).  Beyond that, I don't know.  It's strange to think that I probably know less about what is going on in this country than someone in America with access to CNN and other news sources.

 

It is also strange to come from my very quiet village where nothing has changed to hear reports of chaos in Dakar.  It also makes me wonder about the nature of democracy in a place like this.  I've heard people say that the government could be forced to resign, or even that there could be a coup (I don't believe it).  But supposing that something like a government collapse is a possibility, what does it mean for democracy if the government's ability to survive depends only on keeping the people of Dakar happy?

 

I hope all this gets sorted out.  But in the meantime, I'd appreciate being sent any news clippings about what's going on.