Transalation of a speech given by Preisdent Ousmane Sonko, opposition leader, given in French, from his hospital bed following the attack on him on the 16th March (see here).
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"Let us begin these remarks with words of thank you. I would like to thank all of you for all the support shown since what happened on Thursday. Thank you to all the compatriots, but also the many international partners, for all the concerns for my health that have been expressed.
We give thanks to God and thank all those, whether they be political partners, members of citizen’s movements, members of civil society organisation or simple citizens of all persuasions, who were so worried that they went out of their way to come to the hospital, but who were unfortunately not able to see me. We thank everyone for these compassionate gestures and the expression of concerns for my wellbeing.
Let me reassure you that I am feeling much better, and I owe this improvement to the medical staff of all specialisms who have been by my side ever since coming to this hospital. They have done an extraordinary job to enable me to speak to you today, because three or four days ago we were in the hospital. three or four days ago I was certainly not able to address you in the condition I was in.
What happened that day has been seen by all, it is, simply put, a potential assassination attempt, or at least a serious attack on my physical integrity beyond the other obvious violations of my rights.
The flagrant violations of my rights, when for a second occasion my car was broken into and I was forcibly extracted, this time to bring me by force to the court for a procedure for which my presence is not mandatory. My car was broken into, the window smashed, and I was extracted and brutalized, but the worst thing was that the police, specifically from the BIP (elite Multipurpose Intervention Brigade), sprayed me with an extremely toxic liquid that produced nefarious effects on my respiratory system, eyes, skin, and also affected my digestive system.
We do not know the exact nature of this liquid, even if the doctors have their suspicions. My clothes have been sent out of the country for analysis because, unfortunately, we were told that the analyses cannot be done by a laboratory in Senegal. We are currently waiting for the results.
Nothing justified this brutality unless it was a deliberate attempt to physically harm me, and this is not the first time that it happened. The worst thing was the extremely serious refusal to allow me access to an ambulance to take me to the hospital from my home.
I have been in the hospital now for several days. I have benefitted from treatment from several specialists, something which has resulted in me feeling much better. I thank all of the medical staff.
Many people have spoken of medical evacuation to take me abroad, not necessarily to benefit from better medical expertise, but to access a higher level of medical technical capacity. I thank you for this solicitude, this concern shown for me, but I consider that a medical evacuation cannot be on the agenda for two reasons.
The first reason is the confidence we have in the Senegalese medical staff. They are very competent and are carrying out a good job. Of course, if they were to advise that a medical evacuation was medically necessary we would have to review the decision, but for the moment I am in good hands.
The second reason is a political consideration. Dear compatriots our struggle is here in Senegal. You will understand that in the history of political struggles every time a political power, whether it is kingdom or a republic, has been confronted with an opposition that has outstripped them, posing them a real problem, the first option is often to send them to exile. Prophets have been exiled, great saints have been exiled, and resistance fighters have been exiled, because it is seen as the best way to cut the link between the figurehead of a movement and the rest of that movement.
We will not give that option to Macky Sall. Once out of the country, he may try to use all sort of legal instruments to make my return much more complex, and much more difficult. The struggle is taking place here in Senegal. It will take place, it will be organised, and will be rolled out in perfect symbiosis between all the militants, whether they are at the level of the top leadership, including myself, or at the grassroots. I am a member of this leadership group, but I am also a member of the group of those who are at the grassroots level and who are leading the fight.
Our fight is that of all Senegalese citizens, all patriots, transcending political parties, transcending movements. It is a fight for our future, the future of our country, and to preserve our democracy that is being massively compromised by Macky Sall and his dictatorial regime. This is why I will stay here in Senegal, and I will continue the fight by your side.
I would just like to say that Macky Sall's strategy of terror will not pass. Since March 2021 until today many people have fallen under the bullets of the police and private militias of Macky Sall. Today in Bignona, in the south of the country, a young boy was shot in the head and killed by the security forces.
This is why I appeal to the international community to recognise that what is happening is a crime against humanity, and that sooner or later Macky Sall will have to account for his crimes before a national or international court. These crimes cannot go unpunished and are only justified by his desire for a third term of office and the elimination of his political opponents of which I, Ousmane Sonko, is the main one.
What has happened is very serious, but I am warning Macky Sall that if he wants to make an attempt on my life to take all his dispositions, because each time I will oppose him. Every time he wants to violate my most basic rights, to resort to Police brutality to restrict my right of free movement or to be able to leave my house, I will oppose him. That is why I am appealing to all of the Senegalese people, and indeed to all of Senegal's partners, because what is happening in Senegal will inevitably lead us to a very uncertain future.
We will not turnback. Whatever the cost is what it will. We will not accept that Macky Sall and his small group, which is a tiny minority in Senegal, impose their diktat on us."
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