by Giulio Ciofini * –
Senegal, long considered a bastion of political stability in sub-Saharan Africa and the gateway to West Africa, has recently been rocked by a series of violent protests that have raised international concerns. These clashes, sparked by the criminal conviction of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, have highlighted the growing political tensions in the country and raised questions about its future stability. Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “corrupting the youth” thus compromising his chances of running in next year’s presidential elections. The ruling sparked a series of violent demonstrations across the country, which led to the deaths of at least 23 people and 500 arrests, according to Interior Minister Antoine Diome.
Corruption of youth, Sonko’s sentence – The PASTEF leader was initially accused of raping Adji Sarr, a twenty-year-old masseuse to whom Sonko used to go. However, the charges of sexual assault and death threats would later be changed to the aforementioned “corruption of young people”, a change of charge that makes the sentence incomprehensible.
Sonko is currently under house arrest waiting to know whether or not he will be taken by the police force to serve his sentence in prison, an event that would lead to violence exploding again. In fact, the sentence was particularly exacerbated by the increasingly insistent rumors that President Sall intends to take the field even for a third term in February 2024, thus going beyond the limit set by the constitution. Perspective that becomes more and more plausible going forward. Meanwhile, Sonko’s lawyers reportedly filed a 168-page document in France for the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague denouncing President Macky Sall and others of “crimes against humanity,” calling them responsible for more than 50 deaths from 2021 to the present. , including the 23 victims confirmed in the first days of June.
The political paradox of Macky Sall – The story of Sonko is however not new in the Senegalese landscape. In March 2021, there had been serious clashes in Dakar after Sonko’s arrest. However, in that case the violence had hit the symbols of the French presence in Senegal, from the Total service stations to the Auchan chain supermarkets, a sign of strong discontent in the country. The accusations that the opposition has leveled against Sall lie in the government’s inability to create jobs during the two terms of office, in rampant inflation that is weakening the purchasing power of the population and in public debt whose upward trajectory continues unabated.
Today’s paradox surrounding Senegalese democracy concerns precisely the moment of Macky Sall’s rise, when in 2012 civil society successfully mobilized against President Abdoulaye Wade’s attempt to be elected for a third term.
By eliminating Sonko from the race, the president has reinforced the fear that he wants to impose himself by force. In fact, the leader of the opposition is particularly uncomfortable due to the consensus he has been able to build among the young sections of the population – but not only – by presenting himself as a defender of the nation’s interests, against those of third countries such as France and denouncing the current government of corruption, improper use of public funds and the country’s mineral and oil resources in favor of multinationals from foreign countries, especially Western ones. Sonko has therefore become the bulwark of national interests against Western predatory policies, gaining the support and benevolence of the masses; a trend that had led him in 2019 to obtain third place in the presidential elections.
The international community has responded with concern to the events. The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the chairman of the African Union Commission condemned the violence and called on all parties to exercise restraint. They also urged the Senegalese authorities to respect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. The story in question cannot go quietly because it is destabilizing the country’s politics and is also destined to affect the future of the nation: in fact, young Senegalese – who make up 60% of the population – will not accept a third mandate from Sall, while their representative is under arrest. The protests and instability are therefore destined to continue, also involving the interests of Senegal’s partners, starting with France.
* Author for the Thematic Area “Sub-Saharan Africa” of Mondo Internazionale Post.
Article in media partnership with Diplomatic Journal.
