The contentious matter involving the Senegalese Agency for Rural Electrification (ASER) and the Spanish firm AEE Power has once again seized the political spotlight in Dakar. Thierno Alassane Sall, who leads La République des valeurs party and serves as a National Assembly deputy, has leveled accusations against the ruling Pastef party, alleging a double standard regarding this pivotal rural electrification agreement. This contract has come to symbolize the friction between the Senegalese executive branch and a segment of the political establishment. The former Minister of Energy explicitly used the term “duplicity,” a word rarely heard in local parliamentary discourse.
A rural electrification deal escalated to state concern
The agreement between ASER and AEE Power encompasses a comprehensive initiative to electrify numerous Senegalese villages, aiming to connect thousands of communities to the national grid. For months, intense public scrutiny has surrounded the precise execution of the project, the disbursements made, and the actual deliveries. The dispute took on a pronounced political dimension when key figures within Pastef, prior to their ascent to power, had highlighted this very case as a prime example of poor governance under the previous administration.
Now, having assumed governmental responsibilities, these same individuals find themselves tasked with managing the contractual legacy and upholding the Senegalese state’s commitments to its Spanish partner. It is precisely this shift in position that Thierno Alassane Sall seeks to underscore. In his view, the current majority’s stance starkly contradicts the positions articulated during the electoral campaign and in the initial weeks following the change in leadership.
Thierno alassane sall’s critique of pastef
A prominent figure known for his unwavering stance on energy-related issues, the former minister contends that the party, spearheaded by Ousmane Sonko and backed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, can no longer hide behind an opposition posture. He points to a glaring inconsistency between their pledges for systematic audits of purportedly opaque contracts and the cautious approach now taken concerning AEE Power. The deputy suggests that this inconsistent handling of inherited files risks undermining the credibility of the
