Around 14 March 2025 (as reported), residents, including women and youths, blocked the access roads (means unspecified) in Tobor (Tanghori, Bignona, Ziguinchor) and thus the flow of garbage trucks. For weeks, rubbish trucks, escorted by the gendarmerie, have been dumping waste on their territory every day, 100 meters from homes and a school. In recent weeks, law enforcement arrested an unspecified number of protesting residents and legal proceedings have been initiated. The situation has been condemned by several environmental and human rights organizations.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing: Waste Management Protests in Tobor Area, Senegal

1. Summary

Around March 14, residents in the Tobor area of Ziguinchor Region, Senegal, blocked roads in protest against waste management practices. Peaceful demonstrations led primarily by women and youth occurred due to daily garbage dumping within 100 meters of residential areas and schools, resulting in the blockade of waste collection vehicle traffic. While classified as low-risk, the situation shows signs of ongoing conflict.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Regional transportation network constraints — Road blockades in Tobor area requiring logistics vehicle detours and potential shipping delays
• Potential agricultural logistics impact — Ziguinchor Region is a major agricultural area in southern Senegal, with concerns of indirect effects on agricultural transport routes if protests spread
• Waste management system paralysis — Suspension of gendarme-escorted garbage collection operations, potentially worsening regional sanitation and environmental issues
• Ongoing social conflict — Heightened tensions due to legal measures and resident arrests, with risks of additional protest outbreaks

3. Watch points

• Protest spread — Potential expansion of protests to nearby major cities such as Bignona and Ziguinchor, and possibility of additional transportation network blockades
• Changes in government response — Need to monitor progress in conflict resolution through waste facility relocation or negotiations