#Headlines

Macky Sall stripped of all presidential privileges

Aug 19, 2024, 11:13 AM

Since he left power at the end of his term, former President Macky Sall has not yet been able to benefit from the material and human resources that the Constitution grants to all former heads of state.

Unlike his predecessors, who were not deprived of anything, Macky Sall is currently forced to cover his own transportation and security expenses. All of this is happening without any explanation being provided to him.

The government of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye does not seem afraid of engaging in retaliatory actions. Alongside journalists deprived of survival resources and workers from public companies like the Port, Lonase, or others who have been laid off almost without notice, the government finds time to target all those it holds grievances against.

For some, these actions are quite serious, while for others, they may seem more or less trivial. The case of his predecessor, former President Macky Sall, is quite notable in this context.

Although no member of his close entourage has sometimes reached a point of no return, willing to talk about it. Le Quotidien has learned that President Macky Sall has been significantly stripped of all the privileges he is entitled to as a former president of the Republic. For the time being, Macky Sall has received almost nothing except his salary, if that can be said. The Senegalese authorities have removed all his security, except for the head of security.

Besides that, the former head of state no longer has access to any member of his cabinet, even though this is part of his privileges. Every former president of the Republic is entitled, among other things, to an aide-de-camp (ADC), a head of security, and deputies, including a chauffeur (driver) and a bodyguard. This also includes members of his secretariat and other cabinet members, all of whom are covered by state services, even when the President is outside Senegal.

This has always been the case since the country witnessed a head of state being replaced by a new one. For instance, until his passing, Léopold Sédar Senghor continued to benefit from these privileges. Abdou Diouf, despite the small hostilities created by Abdoulaye Wade at one point, never had to complain about his entitlements. The same can be said for President Wade, despite his strained relations with Macky Sall.

The treatment imposed on Macky Sall is a new development that raises questions about its justification. As for the leader of the APR, he has decided to approach the situation with philosophy and not complain publicly. Hence, he has instructed his entourage not to speak on the matter. The only thing he has done so far is to strengthen his security by hiring a private security service to replace the officials retained by the state. He has also changed his car, likely to wait and see how things unfold.

This withholding of resources from President Macky Sall comes just a week after Le Quotidien reported that his mother-in-law was summoned to the gendarmerie for land-related issues.

Source: Le Quotidien