During a recent visit to Diourbel, located in central Senegal, Minister Moussa Balla Fofana brought renewed attention to an issue that has challenged public policy for decades: the begging of talibé children. The government official characterized this situation as one of the most sensitive facing Senegalese society, signaling the executive’s intention to once again confront a subject that intersects social welfare, religious traditions, and state authority.
Diourbel: a symbolic focal point for the talibé discussion
The selection of Diourbel for this discussion is highly significant. This region, adjacent to Touba and at the heart of the Mouride basin, hosts a substantial number of daaras—traditional Quranic schools that welcome thousands of children from across the nation and the sub-region. It is within this intricate religious and educational framework that the phenomenon of children being sent into the streets to solicit daily alms, often under the guise of religious instruction, is deeply embedded.
By acknowledging the sensitivity of the topic, Moussa Balla Fofana highlighted a delicate balance. Any public discourse concerning talibés must navigate respect for religious brotherhoods, the social standing of Koranic teachers, and the state’s imperative to safeguard minors exposed to the dangers of the street, accidents, and various forms of exploitation. In the past, Senegalese authorities have frequently announced initiatives to remove children from public thoroughfares, yet these efforts have not led to a sustained reduction in the practice.
A complex issue intertwining social welfare and state authority
The minister emphasized the structural nature of this challenge. Behind child begging lie deeper issues such as rural poverty, internal migration, the governance of Koranic institutions, and comprehensive child protection. The modernization of daaras, a promise made by successive governments since the early 2000s, remains an unfinished endeavor. While legal frameworks exist, including the child protection code and penal provisions against exploiting others for begging, their enforcement largely depends on local power dynamics.
For the new administration, which took office after the 2024 political transition, this issue represents a crucial political test. The government led by Bassirou Diomaye Faye has prioritized social upliftment, pledging to reinvest in youth development, education, and family dignity. Directly confronting talibé begging means addressing a delicate equilibrium that few previous governments have dared to disrupt. Child rights advocates consistently raise alarms about living conditions in certain urban daaras, where overcrowding, violence, and inadequate healthcare have been documented in numerous NGO reports over recent years.
Anticipated public response and short-term strategies
The minister’s address, delivered before local stakeholders, suggests that policy decisions are currently being formulated. Three key approaches traditionally feature in government plans: the modernization and regulation of daaras, enhanced state oversight of child movements away from their families, and socio-economic support for the most vulnerable households, which often serve as the primary source for enrolling talibés. The success of any public policy in this area will hinge on the government’s ability to engage in dialogue with religious authorities, particularly those in Touba, Tivaouane, and Médina Baye, without disrupting ongoing consultations.
The question of resources remains paramount. Providing shelter for street children, ensuring their schooling, and potentially offering nutritional support in reformed daaras necessitates a sustainable budget and a robust inter-ministerial framework involving Education, Family Affairs, Interior, and Justice ministries. Without centralized leadership, ad hoc operations to remove children from the streets, previously attempted in Dakar, have consistently seen children return within weeks.
Moussa Balla Fofana’s visit to Diourbel signifies, at the very least, a commitment to ground this discussion within the affected communities rather than confining it to ministerial offices in the capital. The challenge now is to transform this public statement into an actionable roadmap, eagerly awaited by child protection organizations and families alike.