President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is increasing calls for calm and responsibility. Returning to Dakar after an official visit to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, he reaffirmed his wish for a peaceful campaign in view of the Legislative Elections on November 17, 2024. The Head of State insisted on the fact that Justice will accomplish its duty and that those responsible for these acts of violence will be held accountable.By Ousmane SOW –
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye once again called on political actors on the ground to exercise restraint and responsibility. Indeed, a few days ago, exactly on October 25, in his speech to the Nation on the eve of the electoral campaign, he called on political actors to speak to their activists and supporters, to ensure that the electoral process takes place without incident. But the message from President Bassirou Diomaye Faye does not seem to be well received. It must be said, acts of violence and ransacking were recorded with certain coalitions during this first week of the electoral campaign, triggering reactions from the Ministries of Justice and the Interior. So, on his return to Dakar, after an official visit to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the Head of State reaffirmed his wish for a peaceful campaign in view of the Legislative Elections on November 17, 2024. In a statement, he expressed his regret at these acts of violence, affirming that it is unacceptable for one side to attack another. “I condemn the violence. However, I warned during a speech to the Senegalese and political leaders before the campaign. The Senegalese have, for a long time, shown a certain electoral maturity. Now, it is up to leaders to reach the level of this maturity. No Senegalese should pride themselves on having hurt their compatriot, regardless of their political orientation. Those responsible for this violence will have to assume this responsibility before the law with which they came into conflict,” says Bassirou Diomaye Faye. To prevent such things from happening again, he instructed the Minister of the Interior, Jean-Baptiste Tine, to increase the security of convoys and political caravans to avoid clashes, but also asked the Minister of Justice to lead impartial and thoughtful investigations. “I instructed the Minister of Justice to open an investigation to shed light on it, to prosecute the perpetrators and to condemn them regardless of their political party, regardless of their position. However, Justice will have to carry out a careful investigation, without rushing, to establish responsibilities for the violence,” declared Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Senegal
