Senegal is unstable and poor. Poverty is 50%. Their gold exports are 16%. Their Trade Deficit is $10.2B, Tourism is down. Labor Force Participation is 52%, Debt to GDP is high at 74%, Agricultural Land is 49.4%, but is poor and drought-prone. 70% of food is imported. Irrigation projects are proposed to improve food production.
On June 25, Senegal's national assembly approved two overly broad counterterrorism laws with life imprisonment for those found guilty of flouting the laws. The government is taking the threat of insurrection seriously. The Military and Police are accused of brutality.
During
protests in March and June, security forces used excessive force to maintain
public order.
On March 3, demonstrations broke out across Senegal following prominent opposition leader Ousmane Sonko’s arrest in Dakar. Security forces fired teargas and live bullets to disperse the protests and arrested 100 people, leaving hundreds injured.
Sonko, leader of the political party, Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (PASTEF) was arrested after a woman accused him of rape, an allegation that he denied, saying it was politically motivated. His arrest sparked massive demonstrations with thousands of largely young people, members of opposition parties, and civil society members taking to the streets across the country.
In a March 5 speech, Interior Minister Antoine Félix Abdoulaye Diome said the protests were “acts of terror,” “insurrection,” “vandalism,” and “banditry,” and were illegal due to the state of emergency for the Covid-19 pandemic.
Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported that at least 10 people died in the incident. International human rights organizations documented the deaths of at least eight people during the demonstrations, some “caused by the use of excessive force and firearms by security forces.” Senegal’s Red Cross reported that 6 people died and at least 590 were injured, including 232 who were transferred to health centers for treatment. Opposition groups reported that 11 people died.
On June 25, people took to the streets in Dakar, following a call by the Movement for the Defense of Democracy (Movement pour la défense de la démocratie, M2D), a group of opposition parties and civil society groups, to protest the national assembly’s approval of two controversial counterterrorism laws. The media reported that the police responded by firing teargas and arresting at least 20 protesters. All those arrested have been released, with one alleging that the police beat and brutalized him.
Senegal is exposed to risks from organized crime, drug trafficking, terrorist financing, internet and other fraud, and a large informal, cash-based sector. Major sources of illicit proceeds include narcotics, human trafficking, illegal trade in wildlife and timber, counterfeiting, and public corruption.
The Casamance conflict is an ongoing low-level conflict that has been waged between the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) since 1982.
Comments
Senegal is in danger from protesters and their Rule of Law approach is their only option. It is no surprise that political factions and Terror Groups are involved in protests. The Legislature needs to review the Constitution and amend it to limit and contain protests when it is clear that these are controlled by insurrectionists or terror organizations. Student protests should be investigated to determine the source of their motivation. There is no reason for students to use protests if their grievances could be addressed and answered by the government. Schools may need to be investigated if political factions are the source of student indoctrination. Senegal is 97% Muslim. Literacy is 57%. Students are not trained to work, but are trained to become beggers.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment