The tragedy of the murder of Diary Sow, which occurred on New Year’s Eve in Malika, continues to shake people’s minds. Faced with general indignation, a peaceful march is planned tomorrow, Tuesday January 7, 2025, to denounce this tragedy and, more broadly, violence against children. According to information relayed by L’Observateur, this citizen initiative testifies to an unprecedented mobilization in the Dakar suburbs, but it is not free of controversy.
A march to honor Diary and protect children
The organizers of the march intend to make their voices heard and raise awareness about the violence inflicted on young people, which has become, according to them, a scourge in Senegalese society. The procession will begin at 3 p.m., in front of the family home of the late Diary Sow, also known as Souadou Sow. It will take a symbolic route: the town hall, the sub-prefecture, before ending at Malika beach, where the participants will hold a face-to-face meeting with the press to express their anger and formulate their grievances.
However, as L’Observateur points out, uncertainty hangs over this mobilization. Until yesterday evening, Sunday January 5, the organizers had not yet received official authorization to guarantee security supervision by the police. This absence of a legal framework could pose a problem in the event of unforeseen excesses.
A family under pressure and criticism of the “ballet of personalities”
Beyond the march, Diary Sow’s family, already overwhelmed by the tragic loss of their daughter, faces a delicate situation. An incessant flow of visitors has been passing by since the tragedy: political leaders, members of associations, and public figures. While some go there to sincerely show their solidarity, other behaviors provoke harsh criticism.
“Of course, the family needs support, but this ballet of personalities is annoying. We feel that they have other motivations,” a neighbor told the daily L’Observateur, deploring the media and political exploitation of the Sow’s misfortune.
-Even the arrival of the Minister for Women, although interpreted as a gesture of compassion from the State, did not escape critical scrutiny. For many, family pain has become the scene of uninhibited opportunism.
A double challenge for the Sow family
If tomorrow’s march aims to honor Diary’s memory and demand concrete measures to protect children, the Sow family seems to be facing a new ordeal: the need to preserve their privacy and dignity in the face of media attention that has become invasive.
However, this tragedy will have made it possible to reignite the debate on violence against children in Senegal. The mobilization planned in Malika, as well as another march announced for next Friday, could mark a turning point in raising awareness on this urgent issue.
But in the midst of this turmoil, a question remains: who will ensure that justice is done to Diary Sow without exploitation or recovery? A question that many Senegalese hope to see quickly clarified.
