In Senegal, the standoff continues over the postponement of the presidential election. If calm has returned to the streets of Dakar since the violent demonstrations which shook the capital on Friday, a new day of mobilization must take place across the country, Tuesday February 13.

The Aar Sunu Election platform, bringing together several civil society organizations, called for a large peaceful and silent march in Dakar, during a press conference on Monday, during which it observed "a minute of silence and prayers to the "place of young people killed during recent demonstrations". Several schools in the capital also announced that they would be closed on Tuesday in support of the movement.

Tension has risen crescendo in the country since the cancellation by the Senegalese head of state of the presidential election on February 25 and then its postponement by the National Assembly until December 15.

Three people have died since Friday during protests in different regions of the country. While several opposition forces and civil society movements accuse the government of authoritarian drift and excessive use of force, the government poses on the contrary as a defender of democracy and public order.

Open investigations

On Saturday, a 16-year-old young man died in Ziguinchor, capital of the Casamance region and stronghold of the opponent Ousmane Sonko's camp, in the south of the country, where demonstrations took place against the postponement of the presidential election. Contacted by France 24, his uncle spoke of head trauma.

The day before, the country experienced its most intense wave of demonstrations since the postponement of the election by the National Assembly on February 5. In Dakar, while banned gatherings were violently dispersed by the police, a young man was shot in the abdomen. He also died on Saturday. Finally, on Friday, a first victim died in the port city of Saint Louis.   

Read alsoSenegal: scuffles and anti-Macky Sall slogans in Dakar

"Sending his condolences to the families", the spokesperson for the Senegalese government, the Minister of Commerce, Abdou Karim Fofana, affirmed that the public prosecutor had taken up these cases to elucidate the circumstances, that a death by bullet could not in fact induce the responsibility of the defense and security forces.

They “are intended to preserve public order, that’s what they did” affirms the government representative. "There are unfortunately political leaders from the opposition, from so-called civil society who are calling on young people, children, to go into the field (...), to demonstrate and attack the defense and security forces, which is regrettable” he castigated.

The spokesperson for the Senegalese government, the Minister of Commerce, Abdou Karim Fofana, during his interview with France 24, Sunday February 11, in Dakar. © Julie Dungelhoeff

For Amadou Ba, representative of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was to replace Ousmane Sonko as presidential candidate on February 25, these accusations are a diversion. “There is no call for violence and we do not believe in these investigations because the people are buried without an autopsy. The State does not really want to shed light on these cases, where are those opened since 2021 for those killed during previous protests? We are still waiting for the results."

Prohibited demonstrations

Friday in Dakar, demonstrators expressed their anger at the ban on demonstrations at the Place de la Nation, access to which had been blocked by the police. An additional example, according to them, of the authoritarian and repressive drift of the government.

“The principle in Senegal is to authorize all demonstrations if they do not involve violence, if prior administrative investigations show that the desire of the demonstrators is to hold a peaceful demonstration, without mistakes,” retorts the spokesperson for the Senegal government.

“But when you have in the demonstrations people who attack the BRT (Editor's note: buses), regional trains, vital infrastructure, water and electricity supply, that's something else.”

On Saturday, several infrastructures and localities were vandalized in the capital. In the Khar Yalla and Citée des Eaux districts, a market and the construction site of a flyover were ravaged by flames, arousing the anger of many residents.

Friday's violent demonstrations in the Khar Yalla district of Dakar have left their mark. © Julie Dungelhoeff

“Deplorable” events denounce for his part Amadou Ba, who once again points the finger at the government’s responsibility. "The planned demonstrations were peaceful. But the government locked down the political field. In this context, it is not surprising that there are excesses."

Also read: Senegal: “The demonstrators poured out their anger on everything they saw”

According to Bassirou Diomaye Faye's coalition, more than 150 people, arrested across the country since the peak of demonstrations in Senegal on Friday, are still imprisoned.

On Sunday, Macky Sall received the support of two former presidents Abdou Diouf and Abdoulaye Wade, who sent a message to young people. Affirming to understand "his frustration and his dismay", the two former heads of state called for "immediately stopping the violence and destruction of property" in a joint statement.

On the government side, some see signs of appeasement emerging. According to the Senegalese newspaper Le Quotidien, an amnesty, concerning imprisoned members of the opposition, could be unveiled on Wednesday in the Council of Ministers, to promote political dialogue.

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