Lumière Synergie pour le Développement (LSD) and the national collective of People Affected by the Regional Express Train (TER) Project (PAP) prepared a report entitled: “Suddenly finding yourself homeless, without land and without work”, which laid bare the nebulous practices associated with TER. The document, which is around forty pages long, referred to corrupt practices, including racketeering, fraud and abuse of the works of the Regional Express Train

The document, also referring to a “racket”, explains that it “is expressed in the form of extortion through intimidation, trickery, terror, blackmail. The fragile target is convinced that they are not entitled to anything. A procedure followed that led her to seek refuge with scammers to take shelter,” he explains. Moreover, “PAPs have also been convinced to leave their homes without any form of support under the promise of compensation for demolished properties, often with the verbal announcement of an attractive sum, six months of rehousing assistance considered as the duration necessary for the construction of a new house, and the allocation of a new construction plot. A large majority of PAPs have received compensation (even contested) and rehousing assistance. On the other hand, five years later, they still have not benefited from land,” he denounces. Also, the report highlights that “land is handed over to third parties at the expense of rights holders. Heavy equipment moved, stored out of the reach of owners and then looted, sold or stolen. These practices have particularly affected entrepreneurs, artisans, mechanics, farmers, second-hand dealers, etc.” However, “under the environmental and social safeguards policies of the ADB (African Development Bank) and AFD (French Development Agency), all affected persons had to be fully compensated before the start of project work. Note that the Dakar-AIBD Regional Express Train is a standard gauge electric railway line under construction connecting downtown Dakar (Senegal) to Blaise Diagne International Airport as well as new cities located in the