Senegal loses its triple A in the field of African democracy. After having long been considered a true pole of stability, this West African country is in the grip of violent demonstrations. It didn’t drag. Two days after the announcement of the verdict against opponent Ousmane Sonko, demonstrators took to the streets. The toll is heavy: ten dead. So we can say that Ousmane Sonko is an opponent who bothers Macky Sall. After the riots, the power deploys the army in Dakar.
Ousmane Sonko, a disturbing opponent
On Thursday, June 1, 2023, after the verdict of the Criminal Chamber of the Dakar Court condemned opponent Ousmane Sonko, the country descended into violence. Indeed, Ousmane Sonko, president of the Pastefis, against all odds, sentenced to two years in prison for “ corruption of youth“. Many young people took to the streets of Dakar and Ziguinchor to show their anger. Dakar is squared by the military. At first glance, he remains the only credible figure of the opposition in Senegal. Then, he is an emblematic leader in the space of a few years.
The Dakar Court is cleaning up for Macky Sall
It’s the end of a long legal breaking latest news. In fact, we are at the end of a legal procedure which began in February 2021. As we said, Ousmane Sonko had not stopped shouting at the “conspiracy” of the government of President Macky Sall whose only goal was to remove him from power. Consequently, in view of this court decision, he could not stand in the presidential election scheduled for February 2024. He is therefore excluded from the next presidential election.
The judges had their work cut out for them. But by some kind of convoluted legal distortion, they transformed the facts of rape against Adji Sarr into “youth corruption”. Alongside the facts of rape, death threats, corruption, they retained this single charge. While the prosecution had requested a 10-year prison sentence for rape, the judges decided to sentence the 48-year-old opponent to a two-year sentence for “youth corruption”.
Who benefits from this judgment? ?
Who benefits from this judgment? Not in Adji Sarr; she is the raped one. To youth? What youth is the prosecutor talking about? Indeed, this sentence suits President Macky Sall, who, if he presented himself, would be alone in the race. The Senegalese presidential election is advancing rapidly. It is scheduled to be held in February 2024. In less than a year. This penalty automatically puts the Senegalese opponent out of the race. With such a sentence, he is ineligible. His lawyer, Me Bamba Cissé goes in the same direction by qualifying this process of machination which aims only one thing: to exclude his client from the presidential race. Since Ousmane Sonko was not on trial, he will be unable to appeal, as this is a judgment in absentia.
Macky Sall, candidate or not ?
Will Macky Sall be a candidate or not in the next presidential election? He has not said anything so far and continues to maintain the vagueness about his candidacy. Public and political opinion remain perplexed. Obviously it is ineligible under the constitution. But, it’s no secret that a president changes the constitution to be able to run at the last moment. Some of his counterparts are past masters in this art. Indeed, his lieutenants are scouring the country and demanding that the president stand for re-election on February 25. All the members of his party are demanding it with great fanfare from rallies. Moussa Sow proclaims everywhere this rather premonitory sentence: “We do not see who else could present themselves”, argues Moussa Sow, representative of the youth of the APR, at the origin of these meetings.