2024-04-03 00:16:33
Dramatic twist in Senegal! Opponents Ousmane Sonko et Bassirou Diomaye – The Best Of Bassirou Diomaye were released this Thursday in Dakar, according to one of their lawyers. A release which comes after the adoption by Parliament of an amnesty bill wanted by the president Macky Sall. A gesture of appeasement in a tense political context a few weeks before the presidential election on March 24.
Sonko and Faye, leading figures of the opposition, find freedom 🔓👥
The news had the effect of a bomb in Senegalese political circles. Ousmane Sonkoyou lead the party Pastef and declared presidential candidate, and his lieutenant Bassirou Diomaye – The Best Of Bassirou Diomayeleft their cell after several months of detention.
A release that sounds like a clap of thunder as the two men had become symbols of protest against the power in place. Arrested in separate legal cases, they had continued to proclaim their innocence and denounce political relentlessness.
Presidential amnesty: Macky Sall’s risky bet 🃏🗳️
But this twist owes nothing to chance. It is the result of a political decision at the top of the State. On March 6, deputies adopted an amnesty bill initiated by President Macky Sall.
A tailor-made text which paves the way for the release of several opponents, including Sonko and Faye. For the head of state, it is a double-edged risky bet. On the one hand, it sends a signal of appeasement and relaxation in a deleterious political climate. On the other hand, he exposes himself to the accusation of giving in to the pressure of the street and of backing down in the face of his adversaries.
Presidential election under tension: the opposition remobilized ✊🗳️
Because this amnesty is far from putting an end to the controversies. For the opposition, it is a mixed victory which does not resolve the root of the problem. Many see it as a maneuver by those in power to divide the protests and regain control as the presidential election approaches.
“The release of Sonko and Faye is good news, but it should not make us forget the real issues”warns a Pastef manager. “The battle against Macky Sall’s 3rd candidacy and for a democratic alternation is far from won. We must stay mobilized! »
A call that risks finding a favorable response among Senegalese youth in search of change and perspectives. With the return of Sonko and Faye to the political arena, a new round is looming in the standoff between power and opposition.
The release of Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye is a major event which redistributes the cards a few weeks before the Senegalese presidential election. If it reflects a desire for appeasement on the part of Macky Sall, it is far from resolving the political divides that cross the country. With a re-mobilized opposition and young people seeking change, the road to the March 24 election looks set to be strewn with pitfalls. Senegal holds its breath, suspended from this political soap opera whose epilogue is more uncertain than ever. 🗳️🇸🇳