Senegal: Opponents Sonko and Fay released from prison, jubilation in Dakar

Freed on Thursday evening, system opponents Ousmane Sonko and his deputy Bassiro Diomaye Fay can now lead the presidential campaign scheduled for March 24, fueled by the excitement generated by their release from prison. Their first performance is eagerly awaited.

A hard-to-quantify crowd of at least several thousand cheering Dakar residents milled late Thursday evening in front of the Cape Manuel prison, along the procession and in front of the home of Ousmane Sonko, detained since July 28, 2023. The latter, a participant in a deadly confrontation with the authorities that lasted more than two years, remained invisible to most people.

His second presidential candidate appeared briefly in his stead and with his consent, standing through the sunroof of his car to address the crowd, wearing a blue boubou, a white cap and the national flag draped over his shoulders.

Smiling after nearly a year in prison and posing despite the noise, he praised the “support and solidarity” shown by his supporters. He has put forward what his camp calls a “blueprint” which means that assuming the presidency is not a private matter between him and Ousmane Sonko.

These publications “completely changed the election situation”

The Supreme Court, for its part, spared the country more drama by rejecting on Friday requests from disqualified presidential candidates, including Kareem Wade, who asked for a stay of decrees setting the date of the election and the duration of the campaign. The court declared these requests “inadmissible.”

The indictment of Ousmane Sonko by the courts, coupled with the economic and social tensions and uncertainty long maintained by President Sall during his third term, led to various episodes of riots, looting and looting between 2021 and 2023.

Tensions after postponement of presidential elections

Ousmane Sonko and his second Bassiro Diomaie Fay have used an amnesty law passed last week at the initiative of President Macky Sall to calm the situation after three years of tension, renewed by a last-minute postponement of the presidential election. After days of speculation, the law was promulgated, and “precisely because it is promulgated, (they) are not there,” said Yoro Dia, a presidential spokesman.

“Ousmane Sonko on the outside (this) completely changes the election situation (…) Putting him in the middle of the election campaign could have a multiplier effect,” assures Maurice Dion, professor of political science at the University of Saint-Louis.

“Left Pan-Africanism”

The official campaign began on March 9 without the participation of either party. Bassir Diomaia Faye was not allowed to record his performances for public television. His camp campaigned for him, presenting an agenda of a man who wants to be a “system change candidate” and a “pan-Africanist left,” who promises to restore Senegal’s sovereignty and will renegotiate, if elected, gas and oil contracts and defense agreements.

This platform rejects the signature themes of Ousmane Sonko, whose diatribes against corruption, elites, multinational corporations and the economic and political influence he believes exerted by the former French colonial power ensured the success of his Pastef party.