In Senegal, there is still uncertainty after the postponement of the presidential election initially scheduled for February 25. President Macky Sall’s announcement sparks protests within the political class, civil society and the international community. Negotiations? Releases of detainees, notably Ousmane Sonko? National dialogue? In Ziguinchor, in the south of the country, as elsewhere, solutions to end the crisis are being debated. A rally “for democracy and the restoration of the rule of law” was organized yesterday, Wednesday, by a group of teachers at Assane Seck University.
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with our special correspondent in Ziguinchor, Charlotte Idrac
“ Dafa Doy “, ” that’s enough ! », in front of the university library, teachers, students, members of administrative staff, all are dressed in red and in the colors of Senegal to demand respect for the electoral calendar. On February 12 and 13, the Autonomous Union of Higher Education had declared a 48-hour strike.
“ I was in a traveling conference between Togo and Benin, and at each of these stages, it was the same question: what has become of this Senegal, a model of democracy? I had no answer. On the contrary, I did everything to level the walls », Regrets Professor Benoît Tine, socio-criminologist.
Fatoumata Hann is a socio-anthropologist – she participated in the organization of the gathering -. For her, it is clear: the end of the crisis should not involve amnesties: “ To talk about amnesties in the current context is really to wipe the slate clean of everything that happened, that is to say, we forget all the people who were killedand we erase all the damage. »
The question of possible releases of political figures was not on the agenda of the Council of Ministers yesterday, but mediations are underway.
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The main thing is to re-establish dialogue, believes Ibrahima Badji, coordinator of the ruling Benno Bokk Yaakar coalition in Ziguinchor: “ Dialogue is essential in Senegal, it is at this level that you can say what you criticize about the postponement. We can’t solve everything by throwing stones, taking steps… »
A dialogue, but when? And with who ? For the moment, no terms have been specified.
Read alsoCrisis in Senegal: the option of releasing opponent Ousmane Sonko “is on the table”, according to a facilitator