Today will go down as one of the darkest days in Senegal’s history. A country that was once recognised as a role model of democracy has entered a spiral of open dictatorship and open repression.
On the 14 of March, on a visit to Senegal, US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, gushingly tweeted that she was “Thrilled to meet Pres. @Macky_Sall in Dakar to discuss shared priorities on democracy, human rights, security… Senegal’s vibrant democratic tradition and efforts to promote peace and prosperity form the bedrock of the flourishing U.S.-Senegalese partnership”. She further tweeted her “Thanks Senegal for continued partnership to promote & institutionalize citizen security, rule of law & respect for human rights principles in law enforcement.”
The irony and misjudgement of Under Secretary Zeya’s statements, could not have been greater in the context of events that unfurled as soon as the door of her plane closed behind her…
On March 14, the day of her statement, something else was also happening in Senegal. The “Giga meeting” of the opposition coalition Yeewi Askanwi brought hundreds of thousands of Senegalese together in an unprecedented protest against President Sall’s suspected intention to breech “Senegal’s vibrant democratic tradition” by going against the constitution and all his past statement, to, to seek a third mandate in the coming presidential elections. They were also protesting against the regimes constant attacks on the main opposition leader and leading presidential candidate Ousmane Sonko and his PASTEF party.
Under Secretary Zeya, as a highly informed member of the US government , would be aware of the accusations made that there are ongoing judicial attempts to exclude Sonko from standing as a candidate (accusation of rape and another of libel). She would also have been briefed by US intelligence services, on the many national and international concerns about the credibility of these charges. Indeed, the Under Secretary had the opportunity to listen the speeches made at the meeting, by ex-prime minister Ms Aminata Toure, ex-Maire of Dakar and presidential candidate Khalifa Sall among others, she would have heard the point that “Macky Sall should not be allowed make Ousmane Sonko into the third credible presidential candidate eliminated through legal means by a judiciary whose political independence has been questioned”
From arrival on the evening of the 14th, Ousmane Sonko was put in an undeclared house arrest with no legal basis or court order. He was denied the ability to leave and no could anyone enter the barricaded zone around his house. In the morning of the 15th He was denied the right to take his son to school and was turned back. Later on that day, when a delegation of National Assembly members, wearing full ceremonial sashes, made an attempt to visit they were shot at with tear gas shells without warning. One National Assembly member, Guy Marius Sagna was injured when a teargas cannister was shot directly at his leg. Members of the press corps (including at least one member of the international press) were repeatedly driven away from the scene with volleys of tear gas. Members of Ousmane Sonko’s legal team and other well wishers were also denied entry attacked with tear gas and in some cases arrested.
The 16 March was the date of a hearing in the libel case against Sonko. The basis of the case is that Mame Mbaye Niang an ex-minister, had been accused by Ousmane Sonko of being mentioned as implicated in a huge corruption scheme by a Government financial control agency report, which Niang denied although he resigned his post at the time.
As Ousmane Sonko, his leading lawyer and security team were preparing to leave to attend the court they were attacked by the security forces who surrounded his house. In shocking and totally illegal and unjustified scenes widely available through live streams, Ousmane Sonko, whilst giving no resistance, was brutally manhandled from first one car and then another, both having their windows smashed. His clothes were torn and both him and his lawyer Cledor Ly were sprayed with an unknown toxic substance. He was then detained in a Police armoured car which drove him to the court. Again journalists were attached with direct shots of tear gas and one of Ousmane Sonko’s security guards was shot in the leg with live ammunition.
At the court, the hearing had to be first suspended and then postponed as both Sonko and his lawyer had to receive medical attention. There are concerns about what substance was used and what long term health effects there may be. Note that as Ousmane Sonko’s passport is confiscated he is denied from being able to travel for specialist help.
Even in the court itself, there are reports of Sonko and members of his legal team suffering obstruction and assault from security services.
It is difficult to see where the Under Secretary’s priorities of peace and the promotion of citizen security, rule of law & respect for human rights principles in law enforcement was left as the whole country has exploded in spontaneous demonstrations as the population express their utter outrage about the days events.
In March 2021, there had also been another attempt to arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, which led to several days of protests that spiralled into widespread riots and looting, causing 13 deaths, more than 600 injuries, and millions of dollars in property damage.
Today, as the outraged young people take to the streets, they were met, not with attempts by the forces of “law and order” to calm the situation, but with harsh “disorderly” Police enforcement (random, indiscriminate attack using volleys of teargas shells, including into vehicles and houses) accompanied by the same armed militias who caused havoc in 2021 with impunity.
There have been at least two deaths (one in the south of the country where demonstrators were shot at with live ammunition) and multiple injuries so far today (15 march). This figure is likely to rise.
Others might beg to differ with Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya's view or premature pronouncements based on the perception touted by the state. Did she not take for background reading on the flight from Washington as copy of The US State Department’s “2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Senegal” which said that there are:
“Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings including extrajudicial killings by or on behalf of the government; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by or on behalf of the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; political prisoners or detainees; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, censorship, and criminal libel and slander laws; serious government corruption.”
As the nation descends into chaos, if it is not too late, the least the Under Secretary can do is to approach her President to mobilise international pressure on Macky Sall to release all political prisoners, drop all restrictions on opposition candidates to stand in the coming presidential elections, and to recognise (as he did in the book he wrote), that he is constitutionally unable to stand for a third candidacy. When the Senegalese people are certain that they will be free to vote for the candidate of their choice in fair and impartial elections, then peace will return.
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