The forced return of Ousmane Sonko to Dakar this Sunday, May 28 has had its share of consequences in the capital and in the Cité Keur Gorgui. The calm that reigned in this district for more than a week is now a thing of the past for the inhabitants. Since his forced return to Dakar by of elements of the Security Forces, the house of the leader of the Pastef party remains inaccessible. The police barricaded the area. And all entrances and exits are filtered to avoid any hint of manifestation. Yesterday, the statement of the leader of the Pastef party was made late at night. The reason: « The technical and communication team of the mayor of Ziguinchor could not access his home. » Indeed, the massive presence of police and gendarmes in the Cité Keur Gorgui and surroundings, and the patrols carried out there were not enough to ward off the desire to demonstrate.
In Sacré-Coeur 3, a veritable urban guerrilla war broke out. In the streets, under the buildings, the police tried to repel the demonstrators. Tear gas grenades rain down on the positions of the demonstrators who did not miss the slightest opportunity to block the road or create crowds. At the Sacré-Coeur 3 roundabout, near Auchan, stones and tear gas were exchanged to the chagrin of passers-by, vehicles and motorcyclists.
“We have no news from him”
As announced, the leaders of the Forces vives du Senegal (F24) last night went to Cité Keur Gorgui where Ousmane Sonko lives. To their surprise, all the streets leading to the home of the leader of the Pastef party were already blocked off. Consequence: no one from the delegation led by Déthié Fall, the president of the Prp, was able to gain access to Sonko. A forcing of the opposition leaders caused scuffles in which the latter were gassed.
Speaking to journalists, Déthié said “the fact of dragging Ousmane Sonko out of his car and bringing him back to Dakar, to Cité Keur Gorgui, with force, is an intolerable, incomprehensible situation”. The vice-president of the Pastef party, Yassine Fall, declares that “the last time I heard him, he was in Vélingara. So far, no one has heard from him.Since he was arrested and brought him back to Dakar, no one has heard from him.”
We did not know in what conditions he is, how he was treated, only they know. No one can tell you how he feels. This is why the Senegalese people stood up to push back Macky, because he is the only one responsible… No political leader since independence has ever experienced what he is experiencing… They persecute Ousmane Sonko, beat him, put him in armored trucks, lock him up in his house”, denounced a member of the F24 to the cameras and dictaphones.
Entries and exits to the Cité Keur Gorgui are observed and filtered to the letter. Unable to see their leader, Bassirou Kébé of the Pastef party and his gang fled the tear gas canisters to make a quick stop in front of the Aboubacar Sadikh mosque in Sacré-Coeur. There, he denounced this way of « depriving Ousmane Sonko of his rights. They have no right to barricade Sonko’s home when there is no court order that allows this. It is a state of affairs, a violation of the rule of law and freedom of movement.” He promised that as long as Ousmane Sonko is in this situation, « we will not stop and we will continue the fight ».
By Alpha SYLLA