Rebellion, Representation and Enfranchisement in the Forest Villages of Makacoulibantang, Eastern Senegal

Abstract

"In the district of Makacoulibantang in Eastern Senegal scores of villages are actively blocking urban-based woodfuel merchants and their migrant woodcutters from working in surrounding forests. Their rebellion is partly to stop the destruction of a resource on which they depend for daily needs, and partly because they want to reap some of the benefits from woodfuel production and commerce. Local villagers cannot enter the woodfuel (firewood and charcoal) trade since, as it now stands, urban-based merchants employ migrant woodcutters and use state-allocated licenses and permits to control access to urban markets where the woodfuels are sold and consumed. Forest villagers have resorted to blocking direct access to forests, since this is about the only way they can influence the woodfuel sector. But, while villagers can control forest access, without access to markets and forest labor opportunities, they reap few benefits from forest exploitation. They can keep others out of surrounding forests, but they cannot enter forest commerce themselves. In short, the fact that forest villages can control direct access to forests does not give them access to the benefits that flow from forest commerce."