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This dilemma is one of the oldest and most current in Africa. From large colonial infrastructures to contemporary mega-projects — Diama Dam, Manantali Dam, Ethiopian Renaissance Dam — The question arises tirelessly: who pays the price of development, and who benefits from it?
Free and informed consent: a violated right
International law recognizes the right of indigenous communities to free, prior and informed consent (CLIP) prior to any project affecting their lands. In practice, this right is systematically circumvented in Africa. States view displacement as inevitable, compensation as generous, and resistance as an obstacle to progress. This rhetoric hides structural violence: those who are displaced are rarely those who will benefit from the dam.
L-utilitarianism and its blind spots
The utilitarian argument — « the good of the greatest number justifies the sacrifice of the few » — looks solid on the surface. But it ignores two realities: first, the benefits of the dam are not equitably distributed (large cities and industries benefit more than nearby rural villages). Second, the costs are fully borne by the most vulnerable communities.
Memory of ancestors as non-negotiable property
In African traditions, ancestral burials are not monuments — These are living bonds between generations. They drown, it's cutting a community from its identity roots. No financial compensation can compensate for this. This dimension is systematically underestimated by development engineers.
The real question is not « dam or no dam? » — It's « Who decides, on whose behalf, and with what real compensation for those who lose everything? »
