The death of the former mediator of the Republic, Alioune Badara Cissé, on Saturday, August 28, 2021, sparked a wave of reactions in the Senegalese political class. The testimonies were unanimous: ABC, as his relatives call him, was a true statesman, a patriot who served his nation with dignity until his last breath.
The reactions were not long after the announcement of the death of Alioune Badara Cissé, founding member of the Alliance Pour la République (Apr), party in power in Senegal since 2012. The President of the Republic, Macky Sall, considered the disappearance of ABC as a big loss for the whole Republic. “I am very saddened to learn of the death of Me Alioune Badara Cissé, a founding member of the RPA, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ombudsman of the Republic. I pay tribute to a man of conviction and a brave companion. May Allah welcome him to his Paradise,” said the Head of State.
Similarly, Pastef’s leader, Ousmane Sonko, expressed his sadness that the 63-year-old politician was a fighter for justice and respect for citizens’ rights. “A cultured, racy, affable, generous man of singular refinement, he had personally been involved in preventing my unjust dismissal from the public service in 2016. Subsequently, he was also heavily involved in the unfortunate events of February-March 2021 to prevent and avoid the irreparable. Recently, he had insisted on coming to me to offer his condolences following the loss of a loved one, despite my insistence on discharging him.” , wrote the member and opponent on his Facebook page on Saturday, August 28.
It was around MP Moustapha Guirassy: “Mission accomplished, ABC!!!! His death is the punctuation of an irreproachable life where each of his breaths has always taken part in the Good Fight to the point of always helping others even without understanding very well why and who they really were. The Good Fight was sometimes the fact of having a compatriot, victim of injustice, elected to the post of Head of State by his courage, intelligence, faith and property. Once upon a time, the Good Fight was to bring to our universities a true cultural revolution that will decolonize these spaces by making them live for good what most resembled us: a spirituality in cohabitation with the temporal through the Dahiras. “
The mayor of Mermoz Sacré-cœur, Barthélemy Diaz, also praised the greatness of Alioune Badara Cissé and his fight for the values that found the Republic. “What sad news! A man of good, principles, values and convictions has gone. Thank you for every Master.May Allah welcome you to his heavenly Paradise. Sincere condolences to your family and to the entire Senegalese Nation,” he said.
