Losing land

Local communities also accuse the mine of destroying and "degrading the soil and the dunes" and threatening their water and food security.

Farmers say the compensation for the land is based on guidelines dating from the 1970s and does not make up for the irredeemable loss of revenue from their once-fertile fields.

The hollows between the dunes were oases, a rare ecosystem "which produced until recently 80 percent of the fresh vegetables eaten in Senegal", according to mayor Gaye.

Gaye said locals were initially optimistic about the mining.