F24 Civil Society Platform says No to the politicisation of justice in Senegal

 

The Senegal F24 group is an umbrella movement made up of more than 170 political and human rights organisations, trade unions and civil society groups aiming to prevent President Sall standing for an unconstitutiona 3rd mandat.

In a document entitled ''No to the use of justice for political purposes'', the F4 recalls that on 16 May 2023, Ousmane Sonko, President of the PASTEF Party is summoned before the criminal chamber raising fears and questions about the likely consequences on social stability and civil peace in our dear country. Justice is a fundamental pillar of the rule of law and in a democracy, citizens must have a confidence in its integity and processes. F24 calls on the judicial and political authorities to show serenity, restraint and fairness in their decisions and actions in the hours, days and weeks ahead,'' the statement said.

The platform, which says it brings together all the forces of the nation, regrets that the main opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, is being prosecuted simultaneously in several cases marked by an acceleration of procedures and even a violation of appeal deadlines, a right he has by law. According to the platform, Macky Sall has already succeeded in eliminating two candidates, namely Khalifa Ababacar Sall and Karim Wade in the presidential elections following unfair judicial procedures and will not accept a third candidate to add to the list.

Based on the provisions of its charter, F24 gives its unwavering support to the leader of the PASTEF Party and rejects any legal-political artifice aimed at hindering his participation in the 2024 presidential election. It calls on the police to stop besieging Ousmane Sonko's neighbourhood without a warrant, to refrain from violence against him and those accompanying him, and to guarantee him the security to which he is entitled when he travels to the court. It also reminds the executive and judicial authorities that it is up to them not to jeopardise the stability of the country and, to this end, to give the accused Ousmane Sonko the necessary guarantees both for the preservation of his physical integrity and for the respect of his rights to a fair trial. This has so far been manifestly lacking.

 

 

Protesters take to the streets of Dakar against Senegal President Sall

Africanews 

By Philip Andrew Churm with AFP

 13.05.2023

Thousands or protesters took to the streets of the Senegalese capital Dakar, Friday 12 May, against President Macky Sall's refusal to rule out standing for a third term in office.

The demonstrations were organised by a group callled the "Movement of the living forces of Senegal F24"; referring to the scheduled election date of February 24 2024

Tensions have been stoked by Sall's refusal to rule out running for a third term as president, a move his opponents say would be unconstitutional.

Protester, Famo Dabo, explained why she was at the protest.

"We came here to liberate Senegal, to tell Macky Sall that he has to stop his dictatorial path," she said. 

"He only has to release the political prisoners, we are fed up, we don't want him anymore, we tell him ‘Enough.' 

"He only has to leave our Senegal, we want peace, we don't want problems with anyone."

The Senegal F24 group is an umbrella movement made up of more than 170 political and human rights organisations, aiming to pressure Sall not to stand for election next year.

Opposition leaders and influential members of organisations addressed the rally, calling on Sall to leave power and demanding the release of more than 300 "political detainees."

Another protester, Mamadou, said: "Senegalese democracy is in a coma. Why is it in a coma? The simplest principle in democracy, the free participation of political actors in elections, is biased, this simple principle is flouted. 

"President Macky Sall systematically blocks the democratic process in our country."

Many protesters pledged their support for opposition politician Ousmane Sonko, who was recently sentenced to a six-month suspended prison sentence for defamation and insults against the tourism minister which threatens his eligibility to run for president.

Mamadou believes the sentence is politically motivated. 

"There will be no elections in this country without the candidate Ousmane Sonko, this is very clear, we do not fool ourselves, we do not fool ourselves. 

"And we will have a defensive posture to impose this candidacy of right, whatever the means. We will not let ourselves be taken advantage of, this country is ours, this country has given us everything, this country has given us everything. 

"We are the youth of this country and we want Ousmane Sonko, it is as simple as that."

The opposition has accused Sall's government of using the judicial machinery to target potential challengers.

Although it is widely thought that Sall intends to run for election, he has not confirmed or denied it.

Opponents form coalition in Senegal against Macky Sall's of third term

From: Le Monde -  By Coumba Kane and Théa Ollivier(Dakar, correspondence)
Published on 26 April 2023

 

A Dakar, durant une manifestation des oppositions à un troisième mandat de Macky Sall, le 26 janvier 2023. STEFANO RELLANDINI / AFP

In Senegal, the diverse F24 Platform to prevent a third term for Macky Sall. Political figures, members of civil society, associations, grouped under the same banner, are calling for a large demonstration on 12 May in Dakar.

It's like déjà vu. Twelve years after the Movement of June 23 (M23) formed to block the third term of former President Abdoulaye Wade, the platform "forces vives de la nation F24" was born on April 16 in Senegal, bringing together at least 150 political parties and civil society organizations. This time, it is Macky Sall who is in the firing line, accused of maintaining the vagueness of his candidacy for a third term in the February 2024 presidential election. "I understand the concern of the Senegalese but the time will come, it is soon," assured the head of state, Saturday, April 22 on the airwaves of the private Senegalese radio RFM.

The heterogeneous members of the F24 Platform have set several priorities: the fight against the third candidacy of Macky Sall, the release of political prisoners, the end of bans on demonstrations, as well as the repeal of certain articles of the electoral code on the ineligibility of candidates. Among this massive front are political leaders who have declared themselves candidates for the 2024 elections such as Ousmane Sonko, the former mayor of Dakar Khalifa Sall, Déthié Fall and Aminata Touré.


Faced with the risk of seeing one of them use the new formation to serve his own purpose, it was decided to entrust the coordination to a member from civil society. It is the former trade unionist and figurehead of the M23, Mamadou Mbodj, who was chosen. "It is important to have someone outside the electoral competition who can arbitrate in case of partisan differences," said Senghane Senghor, in charge of legal affairs at the association Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l'homme (Raddho).

"It transcends political parties"

The new coalition must also ensure that it harmonises its speeches and should quickly set up a commission in charge of communication. "We have to work on polishing the speeches because we cannot speak like politicians and have inflammatory speeches," explains Senghane Senghor. The stakes are high to keep all the sensitivities on board the movement. The former Minister of Energy Thierno Alassane Sall has agreed to overcome these "dissonances" to join the platform.

"This is about defending the Constitution, not subjective and personal issues. This transcends political parties," explains the president of the Republic of Values party, who left his post after criticising the oil contracts signed by the 2019 government. Elected deputy in July 2022, he had refused to join the opposition coalition Yewwi Askan Wi-Wallu Senegal (of which Ousmane Sonko is a member) which he criticized for its "radicalism" and "violence". "This time, it is not a political coalition, we will not go together to the presidential election," continues the politician, who ensures that the issue of a potential union in the second round has not yet been addressed.

Although the new platform is broadly based, the absence of certain heavyweights on the Senegalese political scene is nevertheless felt. This is the case of the Democratic Party of Senegal, the PDS, of former president Abdoulaye Wade. "We cannot sit down with Aminata Touré, former Minister of Justice under Macky Sall, who has charged Karim Wade," says Assane Ba, national secretary in charge of mobilization of the PDS.

The son of the former president, who has eyes on the presidential election, was convicted in 2015 for "illicit enrichment" and then pardoned before going into exile in Qatar. Idrissa Seck, former prime minister who came second in the 2019 presidential election and is now a candidate again, is also holding back.

The coordinator Mamadou Mbodj would like to convince all these actors: "We want to continue to expand the platform. We are also in discussion with the trade union centres and religious leaders. The question now is whether F24 can succeed where the M23 failed in 2011-2012. A demonstration is planned in Dakar on 12 May, an opportunity to measure the weight of the new platform.

 From Worldview - RANE (Risk Assessment Network + Exchange)

 

 Senegal’s 2024 Election Could Threaten One of West Africa's Most Stable Democracies

April 24, 202

 In Senegal, mobilization of the opposition and the outcomes of ongoing legal battles could trigger massive unrest and — in an extreme scenario — a constitutional crisis that could plunge the historically stable country into violence. More than one hundred political and civil society groups in Senegal formed a coalition on April 16 to oppose a third term for President Macky Sall. The coalition is called the F24 Movement of Vital Forces and is coordinated by Mamadou Mbodj, a long-standing member of the Senegalese opposition. Ousmane Sonko, the leading opposition candidate for the February 2024 presidential election and the subject of two ongoing criminal trials, was among those who attended the coalition's launch.

 

• The F24 is meant to evoke commonalities with the June 23 Movement, or M23, that fought against a third term for former President Abdoulaye Wade in 2011-2. Senegal's constitutional court approved Wade's bid to run for a third term, but large-scale protests erupted, and Wade eventually lost the presidential election to Sall in 2012. 
• In addition to condemning Sall's ambiguity on a third term, F24 is also calling for the release of political detainees who were arrested during demonstrations related to Sonko's ongoing defamation case.
•  Sonko was convicted of defamation for comments he made in 2022 about the Senegalese tourism minister on March 30. He received a sentence of two months in prison and a fine of 200 million CFA francs (about $334,000). While the ruling will not bar Sonko from contesting the presidency, Mame Mbaye Niang, the minister of tourism who has accused Sonko of defamation, appealed the judgment and is seeking a harsher sentence, which is scheduled to be heard on May 8. Sonko faces a separate trial process for allegedly raping a beauty salon employee in 2021. In both cases, Sonko denies any wrongdoing; he and his supporters have persistently characterized the accusations as trumped-up, politically motivated charges intended to bar him from seeking the presidency
•  For the first time in Senegalese history, the president's party does not have a majority in parliament after July 31 2022 legislative elections delivered a decisive victory for the opposition coalition. 

The opposition's move is a reaction to Sall's ambiguity about whether or not he will seek a third term, which his opponents consider illegal. On March 20, Sall remarked that running for a third term would not violate the Senegalese Constitution, as the amendment that limits presidential tenure to two five-year terms was passed after his first term had begun. Earlier that month, Sall told journalists he was delaying his decision regarding whether to run in the February 2024 election to prevent political dysfunction. It remains unclear exactly when Sall will announce his intentions, but opponents have already announced their candidacies in opposition to Sall's Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS). The PDS has become increasingly repressive in recent months, refusing to grant permits for political demonstrations, arresting journalists and opposition leaders, and cracking down on political demonstrations. In addition to Sall's recent comments, these actions have fueled rumors that Sall is preparing to break with Senegal's relatively stable democratic system to extend his tenure.

• Senegal is one of the few West African countries that has not experienced a coup since gaining independence from France in 1960 and is broadly considered to have a relatively stable democracy.

Sonko's trial dates will likely trigger even greater demonstrations of resistance against the government, whereas indications that Sall intends to seek a third term could prompt a constitutional crisis. The semi-frequent opposition demonstrations that have brought Dakar and other Senegalese cities to a standstill over the last few years are likely to increase in cadence as the election nears, tensions continue to heighten and Sonko's trials proceed. If Sonko is sentenced to more than three months in prison during the defamation appeal trial or the rape trial, he will be ineligible to run for president, which would very likely lead to widespread violent unrest in the capital and smaller cities throughout the country. Meanwhile, Sall's candidacy also has the potential to trigger intense unrest and a constitutional crisis in one of West Africa's historically most stable countries. The questionable transparency of Senegalese courts means that Sall could receive judicial approval to amend the constitution to allow for three presidential terms and/or extended tenure. However, based on his previous statements that a third term would not be unconstitutional, it seems more likely that he would not pursue constitutional reform, instead skirting the question of legality and using police and security forces to suppress the opposition. This would likely spark a full-blown national crisis and create a longer-term domestic debate about the integrity of the Senegalese Constitution, which future governments may seek to amend to tighten perceived loopholes. Even if Sall does pursue another term and employs repressive measures, he is not guaranteed to win, as support for the opposition has been on the rise in response to what many Senegalese view as government abuses of power.

• The F24 invited members to mobilize on May 12 against the "unconstitutional candidacy of Macky Sall," which means that clashes between opposition demonstrators and police can be expected. 
• Even if Sall does not seek a third term, clashes and unrest are expected ahead of the election, given the Senegalese police forces' propensity to crack down on opposition demonstrations. 
• Every time Sonko is summoned to court, the government suspends traffic on the Dakar Dem Dikk bus service, bans the use of scooters and motorcycles, closes schools, and barricades opposition party officials into their homes.