Tension rose a notch on Friday February 9 in Senegal. Six days after President Macky Sall's announcement of the interruption of the February 25 presidential election, since postponed to December 15 by the National Assembly, demonstrations took place across the country. The death of a young student in the port city of Saint-Louis has caused great emotion. An investigation was opened to establish the circumstances of his death.

In the Cité des Eaux district of Dakar, the construction site of a flyover was targeted by demonstrators. A hard pill to swallow for residents, who criticize an excessive level of violence.

“We had to flee”

Saturday morning, site teams inspected the damage and discovered several charred backhoe loaders. “They doused the inside with gasoline, that’s how they burned them,” says one of the officials, white helmet on his head and fluorescent vest.

Construction workers in front of a backhoe loader burned by demonstrators. © David Rich, France 24

“This is not the first time that there have been demonstrations here, our site is a target because it is a state project,” he explains. "But usually the protesters stay near the barriers. There is security here but you can't arrest a hundred people, we had to flee."

The man waits for the bailiff who must assess the cost of the breakage. “We have to replace six machines. We don’t know when it will start again because there could well be other demonstrations.”

Further on, a damage expert dressed in black, an employee of the company that owns the concrete mixer, contemplates the still smoking machine. “They poured out their anger on everything they saw,” he comments, doubtfully.

“A smoldering pot”

Around the large perimeter surrounded by barriers which demarcates the construction site, the crowd is getting restless. An argument breaks out as a scooter driver tries to force the narrow pedestrian crossing.

Some stop for a few seconds, observe the desolation and comment on the events of the day before. “The demonstrators wanted to contest the postponement of the election. But this is the property of others; it is a useful project for the population,” sighs Ahmed, 73, slender body in a traditional sky blue tunic.

“Because of this, we have not had electricity since yesterday because the flames hit the electric poles,” laments this resident of the neighborhood.

Although he readily says he is shocked by the scale of the destruction, Ahmed does not support the decision to postpone the election. “I am for respect for the law and the Constitution,” he says, concisely.

"We are in a democratic system here but the problem is that many people cannot vote with full knowledge of the facts. The illiteracy rate is very high, young people do not have jobs and there is a deficit of "information that gives the population the feeling of being taken hostage. It's a smoldering pot. So, a spark and presto..."

Ahmed, resident of the Cité des Eaux district, in front of the targeted construction site. © David Rich, France 24

Angry neighbors

Further away, voices are raised, a small group gets excited. In the center, Djily gets angry with the construction workers, whom he describes as cowards. "I was there. There weren't that many demonstrators, they told them to stop the construction site, threw a few stones and everyone left, it's incredible." The stocky man with the loud voice lives right across the street from the construction site. He doesn't have harsh enough words for the protesters. “We hunt a president with voter cards, not stones. Eight months of postponement, what is that? Nothing at all.”

His neighbor, Ablaye, agrees. This retired former computer scientist supports Karim Wade's party, the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), at the origin of the commission of inquiry into two judges of the Constitutional Court which led to the postponement of the vote. “We won our case because we were within our rights,” he claims, judging, contrary to what the judges affirmed, that his candidate had indeed renounced French nationality in due time.

Ablaye and Djily, disappointed by the destruction of the construction site in front of their home. © David Rich, France 24

The small group talks about a waste for the neighborhood. “Five months before the end of the project, they are doing this to us… It is a very important project to improve traffic flow; they are also building a sports hall under the bridge,” explains Ablaye.

“We can contest, but not in such a violent way,” he criticizes. “But you know, here, the city concentrates all the frustrations. Everyone wants to be there but life is hard. In reality, it is this anger that is expressed,” he concludes.

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