In Senegal, civil society and political activists joined forces on Friday to criticize the government’s first eighteen months in power and denounce the proliferation of what they call political prisoners.
With our correspondent in Dakar, Juliette Dubois
” Sonko, get out ” is emblazoned on protesters’ T-shirts. Several hundred people chant ” Sonko, dictator ” in the streets of Dakar this Friday.
Eighteen months after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko came to power , the disappointment is immense. ” They told us when they took power that there would be work within two months. But since they came, nothing ,” scolds one protester.
There are many promises that are not kept. They don’t keep their promises and that’s not right, so they need to get out, ” adds another.
The crowd denounces authoritarian rule and demands the release of figures they describe as political prisoners. Among them are people close to former President Macky Sall , accused of embezzlement, such as Farba Ngom, mayor of Agnams, who has been behind bars for several months. ” We demand the release of Farba Ngom and all political prisoners, including Mansour Faye and Lat Diop, and all the others imprisoned .”
In the procession, the opposition wants to present a united front. Figures from Macky Sall’s APR party are marching alongside former rivals, such as Thierno Alassane Sall. ” The opposition will unite through this. Right now, I’m marching with Abdou Mbow of the APR. I never thought I’d one day march alongside him, but we’re together. The past is the past. We must build the future together because we can’t do it alone, ” he said.
The movement, which has called itself Rappel à l’ordre, is calling on all Senegalese to unite behind it.
