Senegal: questions about the presence of "nerves" in the demonstrations
Demonstrators and gendarmes face to face in the Colobane district, in Dakar, on March 5, 2021 during demonstrations following the arrest of the opponent Ousmane Sonko.
© AFP - SEYLLOU
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Senegal is shaken by demonstrations and violence linked to the case involving Ousmane Sonko.
The opponent accused of rape is currently in police custody for "disturbing public order".
Majority officials are calling for justice to do its job.
In this very tense context, questions are raised about the presence of "thugs" in the demonstrations of recent days, "henchmen" visible alongside the defense and security forces.
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Unregistered pick-ups set off behind police vehicles in downtown Dakar.
On board are young helmeted men.
In another sector, the same kind of scene occurs again with individuals holding sticks.
Who are these men visible this week alongside the police?
What is their goal?
Who do they answer to?
Several civil society organizations are calling on the authorities.
"
These are people who are not in uniform, large arms armed with clubs, and a weapon which is not conventional in any case in terms of maintaining order in our country,"
explains Sadikh Niass, secretary. General of the African Meeting for the Defense of Human Rights (Radhho).
This is nothing new.
We still need to conduct investigations to find out whether these are reinforcements recruited by the security forces or is it the political parties, or even the party in power, which recruited them?
"
The Minister of the Interior did not raise this question in his official statement Friday evening March 5.
But questioned on the first day of the demonstrations on Wednesday March 3 by
RFM
radio
, Félix Antoine Diome kicked in touch.
“
Me, I don't know any nerves.
I know the defense and security forces,
he hammered.
And the defense and security forces dress as well in military or police uniforms as in civilian clothes
”.
The Civil Forum, Senegalese section of Transparency International, sent a letter to the Ministry of the Interior to ask for “
clarifications
”.
► See also: Senegal: after three days of riots in Dakar, the time has come to take stock of the damage
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