Last week, after judgement was passed on opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, all hell broke loose with 15 people reportedly dead, others wounded, over 100 public buses and private cars vandalised and burnt, shops, government institutions and supermarkets were also looted and vandalised.
Earlier before the verdict was passed, three ministers and other personalities from the ruling party and the opposition had their houses set ablaze. On Friday the Agriculture minister’s house in Touba was vandalised.
Mr President, since February this year, several protesters have been arrested and held behind bars, leading to a number of deaths, breaking of supermarkets, and criminals capitalising on the situation to loot people's properties. Some journalists have also been arrested and kept in custody.
The leader of the opposition party PASTEF, Ousman Sonko, was standing trial for two cases: libel against Senegal’s tourism minister Mame Mbaye Niang for which he was found guilty and given a six-month suspended sentence with a fine of DM20.4, and a case of rape and attempted murder for which he was acquitted last Thursday. He was, however, given a jail sentence of two years for "corruption of youth". The ruling means he was found to have acted immorally to a younger individual of 21 years.
Since his rape trial started in March 2021 to date, 31 people have so far lost their lives in protests relating to the issue, official sources say. The protests have caused loss of millions of CFA to business people and the government. The Senegalese minister of Interior Antoine Diome said on Saturday that a foreign power (which he did not name) was involved in the protest while the Senegalese minister of Tourism disclosed that some foreigners were part of the protest with the aim of destabilising the country because of the discovery of gas and petrol.
Mr President, The Gambia as a next-door neighbour to Senegal should mediate between the opposition and the ruling party to help them resolve their differences and live in peace.
Furthermore, when your neighbour's house is on fire, it is always good to help in putting it off to prevent that fire from crossing over to yours.
It will therefore be a step in the right direction to mediate in that matter since the political crisis in Senegal may escalate and cause a problem for The Gambia and other countries in the sub-region, which could severely affect the region in many ways. Free movement of people and goods and general socio-economic development in the sub-region would be gravely affected.
The Gambia and many countries in the sub-region are struggling to revive their economies following the recent COVID-19 and against the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Thus we should not watch the political situation in Senegal degenerating into an all-out civil strife without mediating to resolve the contention.
Mr President, your timely intervention in Senegal is very important. It is essential for you to meet with the political, religious and opinion leaders of Senegal to iron out the political tension in that country.
Finally Mr President, as the situation in Senegal continues to escalate, your government should ensure Gambian security forces are on red alert along our borders for any eventuality.
President Macky Sall on 4 April this year - the national day of Senegal - announced the presence of the jihadists near Kidira, eastern Senegal border with Mali. It is therefore essential that we properly secure our borders.
We extend our condolences to families that have lost their loved ones in the crisis, and pray for a speedy recovery of the wounded as well as for peace to return to Senegal.
Good day!