The standoff continues between the mayor of Dakar and the Senegalese authorities. Dismissed from office by decision of the prefect on Friday, December 13 following a conviction for homicide, Barthélémy Dias filed two appeals against this decision on Monday, December 16: one before the Court of Appeal, the other before the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court. The person concerned claims to be able to continue to exercise his functions until the courts have decided the question.
2 mins
with our correspondent in Dakar, Léa-Lisa Westerhoff
Although stripped of his post as mayor of Dakar since Friday December 13 – after having already lost his mandate as deputy a week earlier -, Barthélémy Dias had every intention of going to the central district of Keur Gorgui to inaugurate the construction of a road, this Monday, December 16. But faced with the police deployed to block the area, he finally had to give up.
Coming on site to give him his support, the mayor of the Mermoz-Sacré-Cœur district, Alioune Sall, did not lose his temper: “ We are in a state of law where there are operating rules. So Mayor Barthélémy Dias is still mayor of the city of Dakar as I speak to you. He has 10 days to file an appeal “, launch this one.
“ A strategy » intended for “ destabilize city management » from Dakar
Barthélémy Dias will not have waited for the end of this period: as of this Monday, only three days after being dismissed from his functions by the prefect, he filed two, one before the court of appeal, the other before the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court. Suspensive, these appeals should allow him to continue to exercise his functions until the courts decide, affirm his supporters.
In a press release, Barthélémy Dias’ communications service for its part criticizes the decision to withdraw his mandate, condemning ” a strategy » intended for “ paralyze » and « destabilize city management » from Dakar. Reached by telephone, the person concerned denounces a “ injustice » and a “ political revenge operation » from his ex-ally, the current Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
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