POLITICS
SENEGAL – A politician proposes Ousmane Sonko to be a double candidate to become President in February 2024
Candidate-lining and Kairos strategy for the 2024 presidential election.
The Senegalese justice has just pronounced the finality of the conviction of Ousmane Sonko in a case of “youth corruption” for which he was sentenced to two years in prison on June 1, 2023. He was stripped of his electoral rights and removed from the electoral rolls.
Constitutionally speaking, the leader of the Pastef – currently in prison for another case – will therefore not be able to compete directly and personally in the presidential election to be held on 25 February 2024.
This disaster scenario was predictable since Ousmane Sonko decided to engage in a real tug of war with President-in-Office Macky Sall, especially from the previous presidential election of 2019 where he came third with 15% of the vote. His simple, sharp and radical speech allowed him to touch, galvanize and sensitize a large part of the Senegalese youth who was disappointed by the unfulfilled promises of development, of professional success and future prospects in one of the few democracies present on the African continent.
With his speech perceived as anti-system and populist, the charismatic Ousmane Sonko has become a direct threat to the regime in place whose President promised last July 3 not to run for a third term. Wise decision that must be respected, saluted and applauded because it may avoid a remake of the Gabonese scenario of a post-election coup whose immediate cause was the 3rd term of ousted President Ali Bongo on August 30.
The leader of Pastef also risks questioning the interests of foreign multinationals operating in the country. His book “Oil and Gas in Senegal” published in 2017, suffers no ambiguity about Ousmane Sonko’s desire to restore economic sovereignty over the country’s natural resources. Caught between the regime’s relentless justice and foreign economic interests, the Senegalese youth candidate has very little room for maneuver. His detention decided on July 28, 2023, followed by a hunger strike begun since July 30, and then the dissolution of his party “Pastef” signed on July 31 are a cascade of events on which Ousmane Sonko has no longer taken. He lost control of his political agenda in a completely different regional context from that of March 2021 where – after only 5 days of incarceration – thousands of young supporters took to the streets to get their leader released from prison. The international press had massively relayed the images of this popular fervour.
Two years later, the situation has completely changed. The spotlight of the mass-International media turned away from Senegal to focus on the much more juicy and selling news of the successive military coups in Niger and Gabon and a possible military confrontation at the initiative of ECOWAS to restore the President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey.
Ousmane Sonko and the executives of his party do not seem to have adjusted their geopolitical algorithm to 6 months of this crucial electoral deadline for the country. They must absolutely get their act together, in which case they risk missing their appointment with History.
Because after 5 weeks of hunger strike, it became clear to any warned observer that this “biological weapon” will not get Ousmane Sonko out of prison, nor will it help him to obtain his qualification to participate in the next presidential election. Should we resign ourselves and abandon a political fight lost in advance? Certainly not.
There is a salutary and simple option that the Senegalese opposition has not yet explored and that I had the privilege of setting up in Algeria in March 2019. It presents several assets, the main one being to put the leader Ousmane Sonko back in an active political role and not to keep him in a position of unproductive and suicidal victimization for him, for his party and for the millions of young people who support him.
Ousmane Sonko: President in three acts
Act 1: It is for Ousmane Sonko to quickly adouber a wise and politically astute candidate who will play his double of confidence in the presidential election of February 2024.
Act 2: If this adoubé candidate wins the next election thanks to the mobilization of all the opposition, the youth and the diaspora, he will also grant – the same day of his enthronement – a general amnesty for political prisoners and the creation by decree of the post of vice-president to be entrusted to Ousmane Sonko.
Act 3: Immediately thereafter, the President-Understudy will resign and Ousmane Sonko will constitutionally become the new President of Senegal.
To succeed in this winning political scenario in three acts, Ousmane Sonko must first regain all his strength and the fullness of his lucidity by immediately ending his hunger strike which has become politically ineffective. Because to persist on this dead end road, he risks to know the same sad fate as that of the Irish activist-deputy of the IRA Bobby Sands that the British Prime Minister of the time Margaret Thatcher let die on May 5, 1981 after 66 days without eating.
Indeed, the responsibility of a politician is both different and more important than that of a simple activist who acts according to his own convictions and values. A political leader must also develop a global vision of the societal and geopolitical issues that surround him. And above all, it must possess the art of the kairos, that is to say, be able to both swarm the elements of language most appropriate to its electoral targets, adapt its strategy to the changing news and act at the most appropriate time, where the window of fire to win the political battle is strongest.
To Ousmane Sonko to demonstrate to the Senegalese people – in the coming weeks – whether he is a real visionary politician or a simple anti-system activist.
POLITICS
SENEGAL Moussa Tine: “We launch a solemn appeal to the diaspora for the International Exhibition of Investment of the African Diaspora – SIDIA
Exclusive interview with Moussa Tine, the Director General of Urbanism and Habit. From September 26 to 28, 2025, at the Domaine de Choully, Africa – and particularly Senegal goes to meet its diaspora. For three days, the event will bring together several hundred entrepreneurs, including 30 from Senegal, investors, policy makers and artists. It is an unprecedented exhibition that brings together strategic sectors such as housing, agriculture, but also industry and commerce.
Why involve the diaspora and why organize this International Diaspora Investment Fair? Why this fair?
This exhibition today is a moment of exchange, an indispensable meeting point for government policy and particularly the policy of these three sectors, namely housing, construction, agriculture, industry and commerce. It is these three ministries that bring together their strategies, their strengths, to go out to meet the diaspora. The diaspora plays a decisive, extremely important role in the country’s economy and in its socio-economic stability. It is an important moment, a decisive moment, a moment that will also help us to financially complete a number of projects that are underway, but also to give the opportunity to the nationals of the diaspora to contribute to the development of their country. Each ministry today develops projects and this fair is an opportunity to give the diaspora the necessary information, either to integrate these projects or to collaborate with the State in the context of public-private partnerships or direct investments under the auspices of the State. Here is, in a global manner, the object of the exhibition. Today, this the exhibition is a decisive moment, an important one, with challenges defined across the three sectors I have just mentioned.
Thus, what is the economic weight of the diaspora?
The weight of the diaspora is well established. Today, it plays a decisive role in our economy. The diaspora is strong and economically involved, not only in a family way, but also through local and international initiatives. Therefore, involving the diaspora means redefining its role in a strategic way, which must no longer be limited to family support but contribute directly to the development of the country. This can be done through financial investment projects through programmes structured by the Ministry of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Spatial Planning. I take the example of the PNALRU (National Program for Access to Housing), a project designed and led by the Ministry of Urbanism. We know that most of our fellow citizens in the diaspora have a house or housing project because they want to invest in their home. But often, they do not have the necessary information to do it in a secure way, nor quality support. Projects like the PNALRU offer a secure framework at the level of land, construction, but also marketing, in a transparent manner. These are projects that the State has implemented and which allow the diaspora to have easier access to land, and to participate directly in the national economy. The diaspora complains about not having enough information on state initiatives. This exhibition is a way to reach out to her, to provide as much information as possible about ongoing projects and integration modalities. We know that a part of the diaspora already has the initiative to return or to work in collaboration with the State. This show will therefore be a B2B meeting, a space where the diaspora and the State will be able to meet, establish collaborative relationships, and create what I often call a “return ticket”, that is to say an opportunity for many Senegalese to prepare for a secure and planned return.
Mr. Director, what is the direct message you send to the diaspora, especially to that of Geneva, because the exhibition will take place there?
Yes, the exhibition will be held in Geneva. This choice does not come by chance. Geneva is a financial capital and a business hub. Organizing it there highlights a decisive point in the outcome of projects: the financial dimension and the technical dimension. The objective is that from this exhibition, not only do we provide the necessary information to the diaspora, but also that we mobilize its capital to encourage it to invest in real estate, agriculture and industry. Each ministry will present development projects that the diaspora can appropriate, whether in housing, agriculture or industry. These sectors are linked: industry supports habitat, habitat needs building materials, and agriculture requires infrastructure. This sectoral transversality will allow for maximum opportunities to be created for the diaspora. In Geneva, for three days, we will have exchanges, panels, permanent exhibitions (more than 30 planned), and B2B meetings between the state, professionals, the diaspora, and the private sector. The aim is to mobilize investors, experts and promoters to implement joint projects.
Who are the partners of this project?
In Senegal, we have the Ministry of Urbanism, Territorial Collectivities and Spatial Planning, which leads, with the Ministries of Industry and Trade, and Agriculture as co-organizers. We also work in partnership with Me Events, a structure specialized in the organization of events, and with partners in Geneva, such as the African Village Association and Afrique Néon.
Mr. Director, to conclude, what message do you want to send to the Senegalese in the diaspora?
I take this opportunity to make a solemn appeal to all our fellow citizens of the diaspora. This exhibition is made for you. Its objective is clear: to mobilize the diaspora, not only for its expertise, but also for its investments. Invest in yourself. Invest in Senegal. Invest in Africa. This fair is yours, make it your own, and make it a channel for communication and development. The success of this exhibition will be the success of the national policy towards the diaspora. Senegal comes to you, your country comes to you, in order to discuss your projects and those we develop here. Come in large numbers, because together we can ensure inclusive development where every contribution counts. Thank you and I hope to see you very soon at the Geneva exhibition, from September 26 to 28.
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the major march of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA), the main opposition party in Côte d’Ivoire, will finally take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025. This postponement was announced by the party’s Executive Secretary, who points out that the decision came after discussions between the PDCI leadership and the authorities of the Abidjan department. The details of these discussions have not been made public.
This demonstration, highly anticipated by the party’s activists and supporters, aims to support the candidacy of its president, Tidjane Thiam, in the presidential election of 2025, and to protest against his removal from the electoral list. A decision that the party qualifies as unfair and unacceptable, arguing for the right of all Ivorian citizens, including those with dual nationality, to participate in the political life of the country.
The route of the march remains unchanged: the protesters will leave from the SOCOCE space of the 2 Plateaux, in the municipality of Cocody, to head towards the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). The party calls for a strong peaceful mobilization in order to convey a clear message: demand inclusive, transparent and peaceful elections.
The removal of Tidjane Thiam and other opposition figures is mainly based on the issue of dual nationality, a legal provision that continues to be debated as the election approaches. The PDCI, which sees in Thiam a rally candidate capable of unifying the Ivorians, intends to make this march a highlight of its campaign and its democratic fight.
Photo credit: Tidiane Thiam page
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Morissanda Kouyaté, received this Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Conakry a delegation from the African Union, on an official visit to Guinea. On this occasion, he reaffirmed the commitment of the transitional authorities to respect the deadlines set for the return to constitutional order, while stressing the historical and central role of Guinea in the construction of the Pan-African project.
« I am very happy. The African Union is at Guinea’s side to accompany and support the vision of the head of state, President Mamadi Doumbouya, in favor of Guinea and Africa, in the political, diplomatic, economic, and cultural fields, declared the head of Guinean diplomacy.
This meeting takes place in a context marked by the preparations for the constitutional referendum scheduled for next September 21.
Morissanda Kouyaté also recalled the founding involvement of Guinea in the creation of the Organization of African Unity, which became the African Union. “This visit materializes the commitment of the Peace and Security Council to accompany Guinea in a dynamic of ambitious political and diplomatic transformation,” he stressed.
The minister indicated that all actions related to the transition are currently funded by the national development budget, while calling for a broader mobilization of the international community. “We have requested a round table, called the Basketfront, to seek support to speed up the process. But this does not mean that we will give up,” he said, reiterating President Doumbouya’s willingness to scrupulously respect the scheduled deadlines.
He finally wanted to reassure on the efforts made to ensure an inclusive electoral process. “We are going through a difficult period, and that is why we want all Guineans to be registered in order to obtain a reliable electoral roll,” concluded Morissanda Kouyaté.
Source: guinee360 / Photo credit: Page Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guinea
