While the steamroller of the “forceps and distressing persecution” has been erected since May 30 against Ousmane SONKO, the most popular and fierce opponent of the Macky SALL regime, negotiations are being conducted quietly on the Dakar-Doha axis . Far from the Senegalese political cauldron marked since the beginning of last June by judicial harassment, violent and deadly demonstrations, waves of arrests and the opening of a dialogue with the absence of significant opposition, exclusive credible information in the possession of Confidential Africa confirm the incessant maneuvers led by the Cherifian sovereign, His Majesty King Mohamed VI, the Congolese President Sassou N’Guesso and the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamin Ben Hamad Al Thani to get “out of trouble” Karim WADE, the son of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade (2000-2012).
Doha, the mecca of underground diplomacy “Senegalese version”
It is an almost canned “political deal in arrangement” that Confidential Africa deflowers. According to Confidential Africa, well informed by authorized diplomatic cables, missi-dominici in service and under the orders of Sassou N’Guesso, King Mohamed VI and the Emir of Qatar have multiplied in recent months round trips between the capitals Rabat – Brazaville-Kinshasa and Doha to “discuss” with Abdoulaye Wade’s son and former government minister the “conditions” of his return to Senegal. According to our information, the Doha protocol, blessed by President Sassou N’Guesso and King Mohamed VI and which is beginning its final version, is almost complete. According to confidential authorized sources in our possession, the deal is becoming clearer between President Macky SALL and the son of the former tenant of the Palais Roume. “Solid guarantees” were given to the two protagonists by the plenipotentiary mediators involved in the Karim-Macky merger operation, an authorized source told us about the negotiations. According to information from Confidential Africa, the strong man of Kinshasa, Félix Tshisekedi, who maintains stainless close relations with Karim WADE, is also playing his part. A hand operated, it is said, by a handful of wealthy Qatari businessmen who do business in the mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, mainly concentrated in the province of Katenga. Almost a return of the lift brought by the President of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi vis-à-vis his benefactor Karim WADE, after having been introduced to Qatar by the Emir in March 2021 by the latter, who had prepared meticulously his official trip to Doha, revealed exclusively in his time by Confidential Africa.
Karim WADE, who has been living in Doha since his nocturnal “expeditious” release from Reubeuss prison, where he was imprisoned from 2015 to June 2016, has since become a powerful and essential lobbyist in Qatar, at the expense of the Emir and his immediate entourage, lends an attentive ear to the Qatari Emir who has been supervising the behind-the-scenes negotiations since mid-January 2023. Behind this Macky-Karim rapprochement mission, hides the hand of a Sahelian oil magnate, an assiduous visitor to the palaces of Dakar and Doha.
According to our information, the boxed Doha protocol, unlocked by Confidential Africa, revolves around a Macky-Karim WADE ticket during the next presidential election in February 2024 with a view to undoubtedly weakening the pole of the radical opposition. , embodied by the charismatic leader of Pastef, the most popular leader of the Senegalese political spectrum, Ousmane SONKO in the face of the presidential movement which will be perked up with the political crutches of the Senegalese democratic party (PDS, party of the President WADE), who will come to his rescue According to confidences, in the perspective of the conclusions of the open national dialogue, the “deal” of Doha will have to be put to the test with a first strong act posed by President Macky SALL. According to credible sources reaching Confidential Afrique, the agenda for the Doha Protocol should take place in mid-August 2023, unless there is a major reversal. The protocol is currently, according to exclusive information from Confidential Africa, subject to a final review. A post of Prime Minister, four strategic ministerial portfolios and posts of CEO of public companies in Karim WADE’s party occupy a prominent place in the Doha negotiations for the plan of the Macky-Karim presidential ticket projected by the mediators in perspective of February 2024 and once set to music. President SALL is thus playing his last card by endorsing this Doha Protocol, which is nevertheless binding for him and his allies, despite the “plans drawn up” by what could be called the “last small offices” of the Roume Palace. An authorized source even whispered to us that negotiations had been carried out on the Dakar-Doha axis by goodwill, three years ago, but proved unsuccessful in the end. So, back on the Doha-Rabat-Brazaville axis from where the last cards are being played to save President Macky SALL and the return on a red carpet of the son of former President Abdoulaye WADE.
Secrets of surveys commissioned by two oil companies
The presidential election in Senegal scheduled for February 2024 is not only the affair of the political parties which are engaged in a merciless battle for control of the chair at stake. It is also of interest to certain foreign oil companies which are betting on the exploitation of gas and oil resources announced in 2024. According to exclusive information obtained by Confidential Africa, two oil firms have commissioned surveys from two private firms reputed to be serious and whose names we will keep silent, with a storefront in London and Sydney (Australian capital) to weigh the chances and weaknesses of a handful of potential candidates declared for the presidential election of February 2024, short-listed by these firms. The results of the two polls, after rigorous collection of surveys carried out according to credible sources in the period from March to April 2023, are in favor of the Senegalese opponent Ousmane SONKO, who easily comes out on top, ahead of Macky SALL, the outgoing president, Idrissa SECK, Dèthié FALL, Bougane GUEYE, a media entrepreneur, Thierno Alassane SALL, Khalifa SALL and Karim WADE. One of the two polls credits the opponent SONKO with 52.34% of the votes from the first round, while the second reports a massive transfer of votes to the Pastef leader in the event of a second presidential round. “The young Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane SONKO has an incompressible popularity rating in the current state and at the time of the closing of the investigations” mentions one of the two polling firms on behalf of an oil company.
Confidential Afrique can reveal that the surveys, this time using sophisticated procedures, were carried out with several target profiles, among others; academics, Masters and doctoral students, workers and entrepreneurs established in the Senegalese diaspora. What could be hiding the orders for surveys by these two foreign oil companies? Do these surveys constitute a kind of roadmap in their plans for strategic investments in Senegalese deep waters? The issue of this next presidential election is well taken into account by these two internationally renowned oil companies, which monitor the underside of the country’s oil and gas boom.
By Ismael AÏDARA and Hippolyte GOURMANTIER (Africa Confidential)
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