A sense of hope for justice has resurfaced for dozens of Senegalese families. On Tuesday, July 29, Justice Minister Ousmane Diagne referred the matter to the public prosecutor for the opening of an inquiry into deaths that occurred during political events between 2021 and 2024.
According to Amnesty International and several civil society organizations, at least 65 people died (80, according to the new authorities) during pre-election protests in support of Ousmane Sonko, who was then the main opposition figure and is now the prime minister. Most of them were killed by firearms. Around 1,000 others were reportedly injured, including some victims of torture, according to the human rights organization.
For the family of Cheikh Wade, a 32-year-old tailor killed on March 8, 2021, during a violent protest, “it is a relief,” said his brother, Abdoulaye, sitting beneath a portrait of his older brother hanging in the family’s living room in the working-class neighborhood of Cambérène, Dakar. “We have been waiting for this moment for far too long,” he continued. Wade’s death, which was filmed by bystanders and shared on social media, was particularly shocking to Senegalese society. The video, authenticated by Amnesty International, shows a police officer aiming at the young man before shooting him; a police vehicle then approaches his body before driving away.
You have 73.02% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
