The Secretary General of Amnesty International ended yesterday, Friday October 28, her visit to West Africa. Agnès Callamard notably spoke with the Senegalese authorities on the freedom to demonstrate, the excessive use of force, freedom of expression or the protection of talibé children. She also raised the issue of justice after the March 2021 riots.
In March 2021, in Senegal, at least 13 people had been killed during violent demonstrations across the country. Riots that followed the arrest of Ousmane Sonko and harshly repressed. In a March 2022 reportAmnesty denounced a “ Excessive use of force “: ” Security forces killed 14 people including 3 children when they fired live ammunition to disperse demonstrations (…) in Dakar, Bignona, Kaolack and Diaobé writes the organization, which pointed out that a year later, the independent commission of inquiry announced by the government has not been set up. And since then, still nothing: no information has been made public on the prosecutions announced by the authorities.
More than a year and a half later, is there any hope that justice will be done for the families of the victims? At the microphone of our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac, Agnès Callamard says she questioned the authorities. “ We have discussed this with the authorities, who have not given us much information indicating that these investigations will lead to a trial. It must be remembered that these deaths of civilians are still an extraordinary phenomenon in Senegal, it has been years since we have seen such violence committed against civilians… Families are still waiting for answers and on time currently there is no indication that the investigations are progressing or will lead to anything. »
We keep hope, concludes Agnès but we have no certainty of having answers, concludes Agnès Callamard.