Thread by @UsseynuTAAL

🚨Thread for a better understanding of the current situation in my country, Senegal 🇸🇳 🕊️
credit @PaadoudouT #FreeSenegal

Senegal, long considered a symbol of democracy in West Africa, is going through a major crisis. Political tensions, human rights abuses, arrests of opponents and journalists, and embezzlement of public funds are threatening the country's stability.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1665105540014391296

2012: Macky Sall becomes President of Senegal with 65.8% of the vote, symbolising a peaceful democratic transition despite pre-election tensions. His victory over Abdoulaye Wade illustrates the popular will to limit presidential terms to two. #FreeSenegal

2015 Karim Wade, son of the ex-president, was accused and convicted of corruption and embezzlement. He was pardoned in 2016 and exiled to Qatar. The rejection of his presidential candidacy in 2019 sparked controversy. theguardian.com/world/2016/jun…

2016 : Macky Sall insère un verrou constitutionnel qui limite le nombre de mandats présidentiels à 2 via un référendum, réduisant aussi la durée de ceux-ci de 7 à 5 ans. Approuvée par 62,7% , il fait la promesse de faire que 2 mandats #FreeSenegal reuters.com/article/us-sen…

2018 Khalifa Sall, the mayor of Dakar and an opposition politician, is arrested and sentenced on corruption charges. Despite his parliamentary immunity, he remains in prison. Excluded from the 2019 presidential elections. He will be granted amnesty after the elections in 2019.

During Macky Sall's term of office, from 2012 to 2018, we have seen incredible levels of slavery and hunger in rural areas. Poverty is increasing exponentially, motivating clandestine emigration (800 deaths in 2020).

https://twitter.com/i/status/1664671301619810304

Meanwhile, Macky Sall, his wife and son are handing out billions of Senegalese CFA dollars to buy people's consciences with government money.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1629043660724609026

https://twitter.com/i/status/1630920389072175107

2019 With 58.27% of the vote, Macky Sall is re-elected for a second term. He is committed to his last term in office. The election has been marred by the exclusion of two opposition candidates, Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, following court rulings.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1664049428477497349

2021: Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, accused of sexual assault, is arrested, sparking violent demonstrations and criticism of the fairness of the electoral process. He denounced a state plot to keep him out of the 2024 presidential election. #FreeSenegal

2022: A report by the Court of Auditors denounces alleged "mismanagement and criminal offences" in the management of the Covid Force fund, suggesting conflicts of interest and breaches of the Code of Public Contracts. africanews.com/2022/12/14/maj…

2012 - 2023: Senegalese democracy is threatened by the failure of political elites, corruption, monopolisation of power and restrictions on freedoms. The independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression and respect for human rights are at stake. africtivistes.com/en/senegals-de…

In March 2021, 14 people died in clashes to prevent opponent O. Sonko from taking part in the 2024 presidential elections.
amnesty.org/en/latest/camp…

In the last 72 hours, at least 16 people have been killed in clashes following the verdict against O. Sonko to be ineligible for the February 2024 presidential election lemonde.fr/en/internation…

Ousmane Sonko has been the subject of a series of legal proceedings, which are a testament to the theory of the instrumentalisation of justice. xfru.it/DMQJFs

For months now, Senegal has been rocked by the troubles and legal twists of Ousmane Sonko, the mayor of Ziguinchor. Sonko is the incumbent president's main rival in the presidential election on 4 February 2024 theconversation.com/senegal-un-avo…

The belief that the social situation in Senegal is solely the fault of O. Sonko would be naïve.
The Senegalese people are fed up with injustice. How many reports have been on the back burner? Legitimate frustrations are being stifled. Sonko is a catalyst. shorturl.at/CDFRS

There have been a number of warnings from civil society actors about the situation, which has the country in a state of turmoil.

Senegalese citizens are deeply attached to democracy and simply want to demonstrate peacefully, but marches are systematically denied. The state must be a guarantor of the safety of demonstrations and a guarantor of the right to demonstrate.

The current doctrine of policing in Senegal consists of using civilians as human shields, ruthlessly repressing the People, and suffocating any desire to exercise freedom of expression and the constitutional right to demonstrate.

We're also seeing that there are private militias that collude with the forces of law and order to oppress the people.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1665072048077512704https://twitter.com/i/status/1665103648760770562

#FreeSenegal

The video shows the tracks outside the ruling party's headquarters.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1665057211435941889

This video is an example of the arrest of an ordinary citizen for speaking to the press about the situation.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1665029294031089666

There are currently more than 400 political prisoners in the country, the signal of certain press groups has been cut off, the government has blocked access to social networks and mobile internet has been suspended today. cutt.ly/4wwS9Cti

We pray that peace and stability will return to our beloved country of Teranga. To achieve this, we must continue our long tradition of dialogue to consolidate and strengthen our democratic gains.

https://twitter.com/AfrikajomCenter/status/1664658780859015170?s=20