When Cheikh Omar Diagne “again” creates controversy

The director of general resources of the Presidency of the Republic has been the target of criticism for several days. It is his new release which is causing controversy on social networks. But this is not, as a reminder, the premiere of the former “And Samm Jikko Yi”. In the recent past, exactly last September, there was a wave of protests coming from the Mouride and Tidiane communities, following the remarks of Sheikh Omar Diagne. The latter, in his remarks, expressed the idea that “the writings of great brotherhood figures are questionable and can be subject to criticism”. Not everyone had the same appreciation of this thesis and since this period, members of these brotherhoods have demanded the dismissal of Sheikh Omar Diagne and threatened to organize demonstrations. But this time, it is the Senegalese riflemen who are the new target of the director of general resources who is staying at the Palace of the Republic. In an interview on the Fafa TV channel, Cheikh Omar Diagne declared: “I must remind you that this commemoration of the Senegalese riflemen is a further step towards the reappropriation of our history. France was challenged by the President of the Republic of Senegal. It is a victory for Senegal and for Africa because, for the first time, France is indexed and gives explanations.” But on the question of the rifleman, Cheikh Omar Diagne's response is unambiguous: “I am not a rifleman. The rifleman's battalion was created by the settler. It was Faidherbe who instructed Napoleon III to create it to strengthen the imperialism that France wanted to impose in Africa. But people don't know who these Senegalese riflemen are. These are the riflemen who tormented their fellow men and attacked the resistance fighters for the benefit of the colonizer. These riflemen are in reality traitors.”
Reactions on social networks
Cheikh Omar Diagne thus arouses a wave of indignation which is not only on the side of the opposition, but also on the side of Pastef. Among these reactions, we can note that of Lassana Gagny Sakho, PCA of APIX. “They were recruited or conscripted by force. There were around 200,000 during the First World War and 140,000 in 1939-1945 fighting for humanity. In Paris, a monument to black soldiers was erected in the 1920s in the Bois de Vincennes Tropical Garden to pay tribute to them. On December 1, 2024, the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye paid tribute “to the African heroes (…) who contributed to writing in blood and sweat the glorious history of liberation”, recalls Lassana Gagny Sakho who adds, in these words: “In Dakar a vile individual claims that our heroes are traitors. Whoever betrays is guilty of treason. Informer, perjurer, renegade. The traitor, the coward is that individual who constantly seeks to be right, to dominate or to promote himself to the detriment of others, there is always a risk of betrayal with this type of individual and he has betrayed again,” denounces the former CEO of ONAS noting that Cheikh Omar Diagne is “unfortunately not his first attempt”. “Like a traitor he will again level the walls to let the wave pass,” declared Mr. Sakho.

” Respect ! That's all! », This is the reaction of Pape Alé Niang, general director of the Rts who seems to agree with Lassana G. Sakho in his analysis as does the deputy, Cheikh Bara Ndiaye. The latter stated: Senegalese riflemen: when COD takes the opposite view of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. By qualifying the Senegalese riflemen as traitors, Minister COD (while Pdt FAYE glorifies them), seems to be misreading the context and the men. However, Waly Diouf Bodian, general director of the Port of Dakar, writes on his Facebook page: “The word traitor, misunderstood, becomes a traitor word. “.

When some Internet users, particularly on Tweeter, wonder why Cheikh Omar Diagne is still not sacked because of his controversial outings which are often considered imprudent, others believe that the minister advisor is misunderstood. The Senegalese riflemen are not secondary players in history. “Their commitment helped shape the world as we know it today. They are figures of resilience and dedication, and their memory deserves to be preserved with dignity and respect,” we read on Tweet.

According to Aly Tandian, teacher and sociologist at Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, “it is true that any reflection on our colonial past must be carried out with rigor, lucidity and critical sense. However, slanderous statements that minimize the value of their commitment contribute to an unfair rewriting of History, and this can have harmful consequences on the collective perception of these heroes who are the riflemen.”
On the other hand, the reactions do not all go in the same direction, “if there had not been a massacre, no one would have celebrated them!” They fought for France and sometimes against their own brother, for their own interests. This is the truth,” explains an Internet user in tune with Professor Cheikh Omar Diagne.