Interpellations and arrests have been recurring in Senegal since President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko took office. In the crosshairs: chroniclers critical of the new power and political figures, such as the mayor of Dakar, Barthélémy Dias, political rival of Ousmane Sonko, who was dismissed from his elective functions. Some Senegalese see this as a return of political-judicial pressure, as under the previous government.
“I won’t accept it, and I won’t let myself be walked on“, recently declared Barthélémy Dias, Senegalese politician, when he was stripped of his mandate as deputy, then dismissed from his functions as mayor of Dakar by a prefectural decree aimed at enforcing a court decision. This decision condemned him, in 2017, for homicide to two years in prison, including six months, a sentence he has already served.
“The act is illegal!”
However, these protests by the former MP have had no success. On Christmas Eve, December 24, the Constitutional Council rejected Barthélémy Dias’ appeal. He and other political figures and columnists critical of the new regime have found themselves in difficulty since President Bassirou Diomaye Faye came to power.
“Even in the National Assembly, we needed people like Barthélémy Dias to fuel critical and constructive debates. Today, we see that several people have been arrested in Senegal simply for expressing their opinions. It’s regrettable. Current holders of power must understand that constructive criticism can really help them“, supports Babacar Ba, lawyer and president of the Forum du Justiciable, a Senegalese civil society organization which is concerned about these developments.
No restrictions on freedom of expression
The power of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye claims, for his part, to have taken no action hindering freedom of expression, whether for the press or for politicians.
This is also what Ndéme Dieng, an expert in decentralization close to those in power, also underlines.
Robert Adé’s explanations in Dakar
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He explains that “the current regime has no accounts to settle with political actors. Whether you are a political actor or an ordinary citizen, regardless of your political affiliation, justice will do its work in accordance with the laws and regulations of this country“.
Call for vigilance
However, Amnesty Senegal calls for vigilance to prevent the arrests and ongoing investigations from being perceived as politico-judicial relentlessness. Seydi Gassama, the executive secretary of Amnesty International Senegal, observes an improvement compared to the period 2021-2024, but remains cautious.
“Despite some concerns, we note a clear improvement compared to what we experienced between 2021 and 2024, where there were daily arrests. We do not see this today, although with the laws in force, prosecutors tend to self-initiate, which may worry some people.“, he says.
Interpellations and arrests could continue as part of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s accountability policy. Human rights defenders nevertheless call on the new leaders to show good faith to mark a real break with the past.
General policy statement by Ousmane Sonko
The Senegalese Prime Minister presents his general policy declaration this Friday (27.12) to the National Assembly. This is a first for Ousmane Sonko since his appointment on April 2, 2024. Highly awaited, this declaration should announce solutions to the concerns of the Senegalese in the areas of education, health, employment and housing, between others.
