The Government of Senegal dissolves by decree the main opposition party

The pretrial detention of the main opposition leader in Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, accused of calling for insurrection and plotting against the State, and the dissolution by decree of his party, Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef ), ordered by the Ministry of the Interior, have provoked a new wave of citizen protests on Monday in the streets of Senegal, in which two people died, according to the Government. Ousmane Sonko, who went on hunger strike, has been transferred to Sebikotane prison, some 40 kilometers from Dakar. His participation in the 2024 presidential elections seems increasingly complicated.

After two months of truce and relative calm in the tense political and social environment of Senegal, events have returned to precipitate. As was the case at the beginning of June, when the protests against Sonko’s sentence to two years in prison in another judicial proceeding resulted in some thirty deaths, hundreds of supporters of the opposition leader took to the streets this Monday to protest the imprisonment of its leader, confronting the forces of order. At least two people died in Ziguinchor during these protests, as confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior.

The accusations that weigh on this occasion against Sonko, already sentenced two months ago to two years in prison for corruption of youth, are the most serious that he has ever faced. These are calls for insurrection, association of criminals, plot against State security, actions to compromise public security and create serious political problems, and association of criminals linked to a terrorist company, among others. Barely two hours after the judge ordered his admission to prison, the Ministry of the Interior also ordered the suspension of his party for “its frequent calls for insurrectionary movements that have had serious consequences, including numerous losses of human life, numerous injuries and acts looting and looting of public and private property”.

In anticipation of new protests, the Government of Senegal has also cut mobile internet service and has prohibited the circulation of motorcycles, the usual means of transport for young people during demonstrations, in the entire Dakar region. In the same way, due to the fear of vandalism, all the gas stations of the Total company have closed. For the first time, protesters have been seen burning French flags during protests, in line with the wave of anti-French sentiment sweeping across the region.

The opposition leader, who is very popular in Senegal, especially among the youngest, sent a message to his followers on social media on Monday: “I have just been unjustly sent to pretrial detention. If the Senegalese people, for whom I have always fought, abdicate and decide to leave me in the hands of the Macky Sall regime, I will submit, as always, to God’s will.” For his part, Pastef has denounced that the reasons for ordering its “undemocratic” dissolution are false and that he is waiting for a notification to appeal it through legal channels. The authorities remain on high alert in view of the forecast that the riots will continue over the next few days.

The decision of President Macky Sall, announced on July 3, not to stand for the February 2024 elections and, therefore, to resign from a third term, as well as the national political dialogue process with a part of the opposition, contributed to a certain calm during the last two months. However, the wound had closed falsely because the fate of the main opponent, Sonko, who had been blocked at his home by the security forces all this time, was pending.

“Sixty-three years back. Everything was orchestrated two years ago to reach this point,” Seydi Gassama, head of Amnesty International in Senegal, said Monday via Twitter, referring to the dissolution by decree of Pastef, whose leaders he urged to “explore all resources at your disposal” to appeal this decision. Pastef is a relevant political actor in Senegal, as it is the main party of the Yewwi Askan Wi opposition coalition, which was only one deputy away from wresting the majority in the National Assembly from the government coalition Benno Bokk Yakaar.

Sonko’s imprisonment and the banning of his party open up an unprecedented scenario in the recent history of Senegal, a country known for its stability and solid democracy. Since the end of last May, coinciding with the worst moment of the political and social crisis, the phenomenon of clandestine emigration to the Canary Islands in canoes has intensified, which has caused dozens of deaths. Journalists and associations for the defense of human rights have also denounced a reduction in rights and freedoms motivated by political turmoil.

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