Violence demonstration in Ngor neighborhood, in Dakar, capital city of Senegal, have killed one and injured 30 others, as young people took to the streets to voice out their grievances at a “repressive state,” that has become worse.
Students protested to the state authorities to build a high school, rather than building a police station. They were challenged by officers in full gear, and the city was subjected to violent protests. “The government is not listening to us, the President is not listening to us, no one wants to help us, so we are expressing ourselves as we can,” an angry protester said.
To prevent residents, and journalists from entering Ngor, checkpoints and security personnel were set up. “We have to maintain operations to keep law and order to protest the population,” Abdou Karim Fofan, the Senegalese Government spokesperson said. “People should be able to demonstrate, but people should also be able to go to work, and to school without being stopped by demonstrations,” Fofan averred.
Residents of Ngor claimed, police broke into their homes while they were sleeping, to beat and arrest numerous people. “This is not a political protest, and what is happening is incomprehensible to us, we don’t understand. All we want is a high school not a police station,” Souley Mbengue, the deputy major of Dakar said.
Sonko Calls For Civil Disobedient
Ousmane Sonko has called on his supporters to protests, following court’s ruling that puts his presidential ambitions at risk. A high court ruling in a libel case, has made the politician unable to contest for the upcoming 2024 Presidential elections. Sonko case has been a long standing saga, that has fueled recent political tensions in Dakar, which has already been hit with violent demonstrations.
However, Ousmane Sonko has rejected the ruling of the court, and has vowed to pursue his Presidential candidature. He has called for mass protest against President Macky Sall.
The constitution of Senegal permits only two terms, however, some Senegalese fears that, the President would use some loopholes in the constitution to contest again, after exhausting his two terms in office.
“Nobody can prevent me from being a candidate,” Ousmane said. “What happened yesterday is not travesty of justice, but Judicial banditry,” the opposition leader fumed. “I repeat my calls for resistance and ask the Senegalese to stand up and face Macky Sall,” Sonko explained.
Sonko’s claims that, the legal system has been exploited to exclude him from the presidential contest, have been refuted by the authorities. Security officers and his followers have recently engaged in violent altercations as a result of the tense stalemate.
Sonko urged supporters to attend an opposition rally in Dakar, but did not specify if he plans to contest the court ruling at the Supreme Court within the allotted six days. “We want the May 12 to be a protest like nothing the country has ever seen,” he said.
The Friday protest would be organized by the F24 platform, a sizable group of civil society organization. Members of the platform, have assured to expressed their disapproval to President Macky Sall’s bid for third term. F24 platform has alleged that, authorities have misused the justice system for political gains.
In addition to the libel lawsuit, Sonko has been accused of raping a beauty parlor worker, in 2021 and threatened to kill her. He has said there was no misconduct, but the judgment in that case may have an impact on his ability to vote. The following court appearance has been set for May 16.
Sonko’s calls for civil disobedience and recent deadly demonstration, have further worsened tensions in Senegal, and has always damaged the reputation of the country, that is notably known for stable democracy.
