Senegal: Paris, Bordeaux, New York… Dakar closes its consulates abroad after ‘series of attacks’

Senegal’s government announced on Tuesday that it would temporarily close its consulates-general abroad after attacks on a number of them amid heightened tensions within the country.

“This precautionary measure follows a series of recent attacks on Senegalese diplomatic and consular missions abroad, in particular in Paris, Bordeaux (France), Milan (Italy) and New York,” the Foreign Ministry said. statement posted on social media.

Senegal has been rocked by acute tensions over the past few days, with the country going through its worst trouble in years from June 1 to 3 after opponent Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison in a sex scandal. This denunciation of a popular figure in youth and disadvantaged circles denies him the right to run in the 2024 presidential election. This sparked clashes that left at least 16 people dead and caused extensive damage. This caused demonstrations abroad.

Videos posted on social media on Tuesday showed the facade of the Senegalese consulate in Paris, in the 16th arrondissement, plastered with labels hostile to the government of Maki Sall.

Others showed what is presented as the interior of the Bordeaux consulate, taken over by a dozen people. The Foreign Ministry reported “serious damage”, particularly in Milan, where it said machines for making passports and ID cards were destroyed. Consulates will reopen “when material and security conditions permit,” he said.

Thus, the protest seems to have crossed the borders of the country and reached the states, where there is a very large Senegalese diaspora. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the number of Senegalese emigrants in the world in 2020 was 700,000 people (with a population of about 18 million), including about 400,000 people in OECD countries (mainly developed countries), in mostly in France and Italy and about 230,000 people in West Africa. The consulates of a country are responsible for dealing with citizens of that country in another state. They provide their protection, issue passports and organize elections.