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Senegal nears first victory in war on tsetse fly
…FAO/IAEA project lays foundation for thriving livestock sector
ROME – A campaign against the tsetse fly, a pest that transmits a disease that devastates livestock, in the Niayes area near the capital Dakar has radically reduced the fly population and is paving the way for complete eradication.
“Since the project started, there is already less disease. It has not only reduced the tsetse but also ticks, which cause lots of other diseases in the area. We have noticed over all better health of the herds,” said Baba Sall, project manager and Head of the Animal Health Section in the Ministry of Livestock.
A multiyear programme of the Government of Senegal, with financial help from the United States and technical support from the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), France, is slowly eradicating the tsetse fly using a method called the Sterile Insect Technique. The programme is supported by FAO through its joint division with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
The Niayes area has a coastal micro-climate suitable for exotic breeds of cattle, the kind that produces more milk and meat than domestic stock.
Unfortunately, the area is also home to the tsetse fly, which transmits trypanosomosis. Often lethal, the disease reduces fertility, weight gain, meat and milk production and makes the cattle too weak to be used for ploughing or transport.
A government study estimates that when the tsetse fly is completely eradicated in the Niayes farmers will earn €1.2 million ($1.6 million) more per year because they will spend less on treating animals and earn more profit from selling milk and meat.
The government has an ambitious plan to introduce exotic livestock breeds and create a modern meat and dairy sector in the area, which is near the capital Dakar.
In-depth look at the campaign
The Sterile Insect Technique is a form of pest control that uses radiation to sterilize male flies that are mass-produced in special rearing facilities. The sterile males are released systematically by air on a sustained and area-wide basis over tsetse-infested areas, where they mate with wild females. These do not produce offspring and, as a result, this technique can eventually eradicate populations of wild flies.
Before the SIT can be used, the wild fly population needs to be suppressed to very low levels using other control methods. In the Senegal project area, this was achieved through applying pesticide directly to livestock, the use of fly traps and netted fences around pig pens.
Ground release of sterile males flies started in 2012 and air release in 2013 after three years of feasibility assessments, capacity building, preparation and testing.
After six months, the fly population was suppressed by more than 99 percent.
A further advantage of the technique is the fact that – after an initial phase of insecticide-based suppression – it does not require the use of pesticides and reduces environmental contamination.
“We expect to announce the tsetse fly eradicated in the first block in mid 2014. We have not captured any wild flies in our traps since March 2012 so they are almost finished there,” said Sall.
“After that we are going to attack blocks number 2 and 3 where we expect to achieve eradication in 2015 or early 2016. Two other zones will come next to continue the work we have started to eradicate the tsetse fly and trypanosomosis in Senegal,” he said.
Projects active worldwide
The Joint FAO/IAEA division supports about 35 sterile insect technique field projects delivered through the IAEA technical cooperation programme like the one in Senegal, in different parts of Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. It has already successfully eradicated the tsetse fly from the island of Zanzibar and the Southern Tsetse Eradication Project (STEP) in Ethiopia has reduced fly populations by 90 per cent.
Major insect pests such as fruit flies, moths, screwworm flies and mosquitoes are also targeted in addition to the different species of tsetse flies.
Jorge Hendrichs, chief of the FAO/IAEA SIT programme, says his team at the Insect Pest Control Labotarory at the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, offers a full service of applied research, training, field validation and operations and laboratory backup, with activities reinforcing each other in a type of “feedback loop.”
“For example, for the Senegal operation the sterile flies are mass-produced at the facility of the Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l’Élevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES) in Burkina Faso and shipped to Senegal”, he said. “At first the flies arrived in bad condition. We had to improve quality control, make adjustments to shipment and logistics, establish back-up colonies of the fly and so on. Once we had it working properly, we fed that experience back into our overall programme and we can use the lessons learned elsewhere.”
In all, around 37 African countries are affected by the tsetse fly and trypanosomosis kills around 3 million livestock per year. The FAO/IAEA SIT programme supports 14 African nations in their efforts to eradicate the tsetse fly.
Bayern Munich have made a strong statement over the future of winger Michael Olise, with Vice-President Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisting the club would reject even a €200 million offer for the player.
The comments, reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on Monday, highlight Bayern’s long-standing policy of prioritising sporting stability over financial gain.
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Rummenigge explained that the club’s position is rooted in a historic decision made in 2009, when Bayern received a massive bid from Chelsea for Franck Ribéry.
After internal discussions involving then CFO Karl Hopfner and former president Uli Hoeneß, the club chose to reject the offer — a decision that shaped its modern transfer philosophy.
According to him, that principle remains unchanged today.
He stressed that Bayern do not consider selling players who are essential to the team, adding that even a record-breaking €200 million bid would not change their stance on Olise.
The statement is expected to fuel further transfer speculation across Europe, but Bayern officials maintain that Olise is a key part of their long-term sporting project and not for sale.
Bayern Munich continue to uphold their “untouchable players” policy, while Michael Olise remains central to their squad plans.
The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) has defended its position following the controversial ruling by the Confederation of African Football Appeal Board over the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Moroccan football authority said its appeal was strictly aimed at ensuring the proper application of competition rules, and not to question the sporting merit or performance of any team involved in the final.
The federation emphasized its commitment to fairness, transparency, and the stability of African football competitions, noting that its actions were guided by respect for established regulations.
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“The Federation reiterates that its approach has always been grounded in respect for the rules and stability of African competitions,” the statement read.
FRMF also praised all participating nations in the tournament, describing the 2025 AFCON as a significant milestone in the growth and development of football across the continent.
However, the body revealed that a more detailed position would be made public after a scheduled meeting of its governing organs.
The statement is expected to further clarify Morocco’s stance and outline any possible legal or administrative steps moving forward.
The CAF Appeal Board’s decision has continued to generate widespread reactions among football stakeholders, with growing calls for clearer regulations, improved transparency, and consistency in the administration of African football.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have disclosed details of their recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, explaining that the engagement focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The clarification came amid speculation surrounding the meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after leaders of several opposition parties attended an Iftar dinner hosted by the president earlier in the week.
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Speaking during a gathering hosted in Abuja by the SDP’s former presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo on Friday, the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, said the meeting with Tinubu followed an official invitation from the Presidency and lasted about an hour.
According to Gombe, the discussion centred on the need to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws and restore public confidence in the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
He explained that the meeting provided an opportunity for party leaders to remind the president of the importance of conducting transparent, free, and credible elections.
Gombe noted that democracy can only thrive when governments listen to the concerns of citizens and ensure electoral processes that guarantee fairness and accountability.
The SDP chairman also expressed concern over growing voter apathy, pointing to the low turnout recorded in the recent Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the Abuja Municipal Area Council election witnessed only about seven per cent voter turnout, which he described as a clear sign that many Nigerians are losing confidence in the electoral system.
Gombe urged the government and members of the National Assembly to take urgent steps to review electoral laws and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of IPAC, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said political parties used the meeting to raise concerns about aspects of proposed electoral reforms, particularly issues related to indirect primaries and the mandatory electronic transmission of results.
Dantalle explained that the parties appealed to the president to use his influence to encourage legislative review where necessary, noting that reforms should strengthen, rather than complicate, the democratic process.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu would consider the concerns raised and support necessary amendments that would improve the electoral system.
The IPAC chairman also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to electoral guidelines as preparations for the next election cycle begin.
Earlier in his remarks, Adebayo cautioned political actors against turning the 2027 general elections into a do-or-die contest, stressing that the primary goal of democracy should be the progress and stability of Nigeria rather than personal political victories.
He urged leaders across political parties to encourage citizens to actively participate in the democratic process and ensure that elections are conducted peacefully and transparently.
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