In Senegal, we are heading towards the last week of campaigning before the first round of the presidential election, next Sunday March 24. Candidates travel across the country. Ousmane Sonko and his candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, are also in Casamance, in the opponent’s stronghold. This is their first trip since their release from prison on Wednesday evening.
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With our correspondent in Dakar, Juliette Dubois
The Prime Minister, Amadou Ba, is traveling with his caravan between Matam, Bakel and Tambacounda, in the interior of the country. Déthié Fall is in Dakar and Anta Babacar Ngom in Mbacké, while Khalifa Sall covers Kaolack, in the center of the country, before joining Casamance.
After six days of campaigning in Dakar and the suburbs, in the absence of their candidate, the caravan of the President Diomaye coalition finally made its way to Ziguinchor, in the south of the country, this Saturday afternoon. This finally marks the start of a field campaign for Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye. They left by plane from Dakar at the beginning of the afternoon to join the rest of the teams there.
Many supporters were waiting for them as soon as they got off the plane at Cap Skirring, with music, then on the road to the regional capital Ziguinchor, a city of which Ousmane Sonko is mayor, with stops planned in Oussouye and Elinkine.
Supporters of the ex-Pastef gave the two men a warm welcome. They were already jubilant when they were released from prison on the evening of Wednesday March 13, and today they are happy to find their leader Ousmane Sonko, behind bars since the end of last July, as well as his heir apparent.
The next stages will be Bignona and Goudomp, also in Casamance. These last days of the campaign will be intense for the pair, because Ousmane Sonko has said it: he wants to convince all Senegalese to win the election in the first round.
Read alsoSenegal: scenes of jubilation in Dakar after the release of opponents Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye