Africa-Press – Senegal. Members of the High Council of Territorial Collectivities (HCCT) welcomed Wednesday in Diogo, in the department of Tivaouane, the actions carried out by the mining company Grande Côte Opération (GCO) for the benefit of local communities, within the framework of corporate social responsibility, while making suggestions.
Après que les conseillers ont visité les villages riverains bénéficiaires des actions de la compagnie minière GCO, Gnilane Ndiaye, présidente de la commission numéro 11 des affaires foncières, domaniales et territoriales du HCCT, a salué, au nom de ses camarades, la posture des responsables du volet de la responsabilité sociétale d’entreprise (RSE) de GCO.
The company has built houses and basic social infrastructure in resettlement sites hosting displaced communities. It also supports communities with inputs for market gardening.
GCO a démarré ses opérations depuis 2014 dans la commune de Darou Khoudoss, dans le département de Tivaouane. Cette société y exploite des sables minéralisés, notamment le zircon, l’ilménite, le rutile et le leucoxène, à travers une mine itinérante, ce qui fait qu’elle est amenée à délocaliser certaines communautés.
« Nous avons constaté qu’ils ont fait beaucoup de réalisations, en aidant les communautés », a dit à la presse Gnilane Ndiaye, relevant que la seule fausse note constatée par la délégation, concerne l’état « désastreux » de la piste latéritique qui mène au village de Diogo.
« Just watering this track is not enough, the road must be redone so that its condition does not affect the health of the populations », suggested Gnilane Ndiaye. She did not fail to plead for the capacity building of young people, to guarantee them a decent job within GCO, despite “all the remarkable work” that the company is doing.
The members of the HCCT are in their second session focusing on the theme “Mining resources and territorial governance”. They had come to collect information to feed their opinions and recommendations intended for the President of the Republic, explained the adviser.
Ibrahima Diop, head of the resettlement and community development department of GCO, welcomed this « high-quality » visit to Senegal’s third institution. « It’s the eye of the state that comes to see how we work, » he said, not without adding that this visit « restores momentum to GCO ».
The positive appreciation of the delegation towards them, which they consider as an « official validation » of their work, « consolidates them in (their) desire to support the communities », he continued. « We will try to deserve their positive judgement », he promised again.
For him, the five achievements recorded by GCO up to Lompoul (Louga), were made possible by the support of local authorities, through their commissions.
The departmental commission of resettlement and the departmental commission of census and evaluation of expenses plays a role of arbitrator, to defend the interests of the populations, said Mr. Diop, who also praised the collaboration of the local populations.
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