
In Dakar, the price of a bag of peanut hay, known as "Ngooñ" in Wolof, has sharply increased from 4,000 to 9,000 FCfa in less than a month. This surge is alarming livestock farmers, who are already struggling with a lack of alternatives in the capital. The general rise in livestock feed prices ahead of Tabaski is expected to lead to an increase in sheep prices this year. Farmers like Pape Malé Diagne emphasize that hay is essential for ruminants. Resellers, including Sidi Bara Ba and Khadim Ba, who are among the largest livestock feed sellers in Keur Mbaye Fall, express their discomfort with the situation, stating they do not understand the sudden and unjustified price hike. Sidi Bara Ba notes that an increase is usually observed closer to the rainy season, when hay from the previous peanut harvest helps bridge the lean period in the interior of the country. However, he believes the current timing is abnormal and suggests bad faith is at play. Ousmane Dramé, another experienced reseller, also points out the poor quality of the product despite its high price. Sidi Bara Ba is even considering stopping the sale of peanut hay after Tabaski due to the unfair pricing and underfilled bags. Some customers are now seeking alternative feed options as the economic viability of traditional feed becomes questionable.
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Must ReadFormer Prime Minister and leading Gabonese opposition figure Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze remains in detention after the Libreville Court of Appeal rejected his request to nullify the proceedings. His lawyer, Arthur Vercken, stated that Bilie-By-Nze, president of the Together for Gabon party, has been incarcerated since April 16 as part of an investigation into alleged breach of trust and fraud dating back to 2008. His lawyers argue that the statute of limitations applied in 2011 and denounce the procedure as flawed and the detention as arbitrary, asserting that the alleged facts lack serious criminal qualification. Vercken stated that this situation constitutes a serious violation of Gabonese law, fundamental guarantees of a fair trial, and Gabon's international commitments, demanding his immediate release from Libreville central prison. According to his party, Bilie-By-Nze was apprehended under "brutal, irregular, and contrary to the elementary principles of the rule of law" conditions, then "held incommunicado for 24 hours, without access to his lawyers," before being placed under a committal order. Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, in an interview on France 24, defended the independence of the judiciary and denied any executive intervention in the case. Bilie-By-Nze, who served as Prime Minister under Ali Bongo from 2009 to 2023 and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2025 presidential election against Oligui Nguema, was arrested after speaking out against the suspens

Each year, millions of sheep are sacrificed in Senegal for Tabaski, a ritual that, despite its sacred nature, leads to a disastrous management of organic waste. This mismanagement highlights structural underdevelopment and significant economic losses. Following Tabaski, urban centers in Senegal are often littered with thousands of abandoned skins, decomposing offal creating a foul odor, and clogged sewage systems. This issue, often seen as a temporary nuisance, is an environmental crime and an industrial disaster costing billions. Senegal's population of approximately 19 million, with over 96% being Muslim, results in a social fabric of about 2.1 million families. While some families cannot afford an animal, wealthier households often sacrifice multiple sheep. Official figures from the Ministry of Livestock indicate a national need of 800,000 to 1,000,000 sheep for the holiday. Within 24 hours, over 4,000 tons of skins and vast quantities of paunch residues accumulate in public spaces. Citizen strategies for disposal range from burying remains, which merely displaces the problem, to abandoning skins or dumping offal directly into the ocean or sewage systems. The anaerobic decomposition of this biomass generates greenhouse gases. Each abandoned sheep contributes to pollution, with the degradation of its rumen and uneaten offal releasing 2 to 4 cubic meters of biogas, nearly 60% pure methane. Methane has a global warming potential 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. Across a
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