Dakar
22 August 2008
A colossal monument is planned for a hill overlooking the Atlantic in Dakar, capital of Africa's western-most nation, Senegal. The Senegalese president says the "Monument to the African Renaissance" is meant to symbolize the potential and growth of the continent. Detractors say it is a misuse of funds and a distraction from the everyday problems of the Senegalese people. For VOA, Brent Latham has more from Dakar.
A foreman yells instructions in Korean to a team of workers. A large open air kiln, reminiscent of the industrial age, spews thick black smoke into the sky.
The laborers pound steel and bronze on their anvils. These are North Koreans, and they are building a monument, something they have become accustomed to after years of paying tribute to Kim Jong-il, North Korea's long time communist ruler.
Mr. Wade has attempted to publicize the monument abroad, giving out pamphlets to international visitors to the president's office and on his trips outside Senegal. He has promised to have replicas of the monument built to be given to other African nations.
But inside Senegal, the construction on the hilltop remains a relative mystery. Visiting the project site requires the approval of the president himself, the architect's office says.
It will be difficult to avoid talk of the project much longer.
Above the lighthouse guarding the cape where Africa gives way to the ocean, the immense base of the statue is growing quickly. The first two stories are nearly complete. Plans show a winding staircase on the front of the monument, which visitors will be able to climb for a view of the Dakar peninsula and the ocean.
As for the North Koreans, Atepa says they are expert monument builders and bronze workers. The architect hopes some of that knowledge will be passed along to his Senegalese team.