That is the least we can say. On September 17, 2022, while Pan-African artist, engaged Didier Awadi, in collaboration with the President and founder of Afrikajom Center and other African artists prepared to give the concert “for the limitation of two presidential terms”, the police commissioner in charge of the district police station of Point E, Ahmed Tidiane Thiam, split a record, non-dated, stamped with the seals of the Senegalese Republic. The concert is silenced. It is deemed likely to cause public disorder. It is beyond belief. This report concerns the ban on the concert scheduled for Saturday at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Dakar, Senegal.
Didier Awadi does not fade. Like a boiling volcano, he erupts in the media. He still does not understand the reasons for this cancellation: “It is a shame for Senegal. I am really confused and ashamed. Because in a country like Senegal, which is a showcase of democracy in Africa, a concert that was supposed to be held in a secure hotel and that was not even supposed to gather 300 people is forbidden. And we are told that it is to avoid disturbances of public order.” He may be stirring the subject in all directions, but he cannot understand the prefect’s decision.
The police commissioner believes that the security safeguards are not in place and that this concert is likely to cause serious disturbances of public order. Who must guarantee the security order? What disorders is he talking about? Administrative excuse, we will simply say. Didier Awadi, one of the initiators of the Pan-African movement, reacted violently: ” have never heard him say that he will hold a third term. But what I do know is that we need to help President Macky Sall respect the Constitution. He himself asked the Senegalese to add this provision, which says that no one can serve more than two consecutive terms. So like it or not, we need to help me respect that. And then, Macky Sall was there when Mamadou Diop (a student killed in 2012 during a demonstration against Wade’s candidacy for president) lost his life to the Obelisk because of this issue. He was there when all these young people died because of it.”
There is a lot of consternation on social media. Many Internet users are offended by this cancellation, which they consider scandalous. An online coward: “Of the big anything? We can no longer hold a concert in this republic?”. How can one in a republic forbid a concert? It is to fall on the head. What fears the power in power? Does the president intend to run for another term? That’s the question.
Upstream, they should have done it earlier to avoid all these inconveniences. We learn that orchestras from all over the world have taken the plane to attend this music mass, that spectators had already taken their ticket for the concert, that the hall had already been ordered. We could have avoided all that, saved all that money thrown out the window. This cancellation, it is clear, is symptomatic of the censorship policy that weighs on the country. It makes sense. It’s like we forbid them to walk against expensive living. However Didier Awadi believes in the good time of Macky Sall: “I never heard Macky Sall say that he will make a third term. But what I do know is that we need to help President Macky Sall respect the Constitution. It was he himself who asked the Senegalese to add this provision which says: No one may serve more than two consecutive terms. So like it or not, we have to help him respect that. And then Macky Sall was there when Mamadou Diop (a student killed in 2012 during a demonstration against Mr. Abdoulaye Wade’s presidential candidacy) lost his life in place of the Obelisk because of this issue. He was there when all these kids died because of it.”
