“Those who claim that our problems come from the Guineans or the Lebanese are wrong”

From Guédiawaye, in the middle of the electoral campaign, Ousmane Sonko spoke to clarify his position regarding nationalism. “I wanted to discuss with you, activists, the ideology called nationalism,” he declared. “This ideology, when taken to the extreme, causes more harm than good in a country. We are not nationalists, we are patriots. We must distinguish between nationalism and patriotism. Patriotism excludes no one. Senegal is a country of openness and tolerance, not a country of ostracism which accuses foreigners of being the cause of all problems, without even relying on facts. »

Sonko also recalled discriminatory remarks targeting certain communities: “Those who claim that our problems come from Guineans or Lebanese are wrong. When I was released from prison, I had already asked to stop these speeches. Some said that Amadou Ba was not Senegalese but Guinean. I told them that Amadou Ba is indeed Senegalese: born here, having studied here, worked here and performed functions in the service of this country. He’s a cunning Senegalese, perhaps, but a Senegalese all the same. As for those who speak of the ‘presence of foreigners’ here, they do not even know how many Senegalese live outside our borders. »

Remember that Tahirou Sarr, candidate of the Nationalist Movement, made controversial speeches, in particular concerning the presence of foreigners in Senegal, notably the Guinean and Lebanese communities. Its program advocates a series of restrictive measures: a compulsory residence permit for all foreigners.