The Movement for the Defense of Democracy (M2D) has decided to deliver its version of the facts this Wednesday, May 26, 2021. After the arrest of the deputy and opponent, Ousmane Sonko, on Thursday 4 March 2021 for disturbing the public order, the Senegalese came out massively in the street to demonstrate against what many considered at the time to be “the injustice of too much”.Violent demonstrations led to the death of 13 young Senegalese citizens. Like the Senegalese government, which set out the responsibilities in April 2021, the MD2 presented a memorandum to the press in order to amply review what really happened.
The MD2 has not forgotten the slightest detail about the March 2021 protests in which innocent young people lost their lives. The movement returned to the trigger of this wave of popular protests, namely the hasty arrest of Pastef leader Ousmane Sonko and the violation of his rights. “Despite these constitutional guarantees, the regime of President Macky Sall has deployed police forces to block all roads leading to the home of MP Ousmane Sonko. Many of his supporters and hosts were denied access, as were some of his party officials and allies, thus hindering the freedom of assembly of his party’s bodies.” , reads the document.
Worse still, the injustice reached its climax when “the right to the privacy of the deputy and the inviolability of his private property were violated. State services were deployed with an ultra-sophisticated espionage system, installed in a van stationed for days, in the vicinity and then in front of the home of MP Ousmane Sonko, to film and record everything that happens there.” , again according to the memorandum.
The MD2 held the government of Macky Sall solely responsible, who, according to members of the movement, flouted democratic principles and respect for citizens’ rights in order to liquidate a political opponent. “Macky Sall, is a “serial killer” of political opponents. […] This series of violations of the sacred rights of a citizen, who benefits from a presumption of innocence, deputy in addition, and the extent of the means mobilized indicate, without a shadow of a doubt, that this plot was hatched at the highest summit of the State.’, we can always note in the document presented to the press.
The M2D demanded that the responsibilities be located. Citizens are dead and this must not go unpunished. The movement has confirmed that it is in possession of videos that accurately show the brutality with which the security forces repressed the demonstrations. “A brief overview of the death certificates of the victims who fell as a result of the brutality of the repression indicates that most of the victims were killed by bullets. Video information published by France 24 showed a police officer holding a young victim at gunpoint. It immediately collapsed, which shows, at least in this case, a cold-blooded murder by a member of the security forces. On the basis of video reports that speak for themselves, journalists have been able to note cases of violence that require full disclosure of the wounded and the dead.” , demanded members of the movement.
M2D continues to call for the immediate release of all those detained in the context of these demonstrations. “The M2D continues to demand that Macky Sall release the prisoners still held in Diourbel and Ziguinchor and that he respect the constitutional rights of Ousmane Sonko and all those who oppose his policy,” he says.
Finally, the M2D called on all Senegalese to become more involved in the struggle for respect for democratic principles and the rule of law. “The M2D will give its full support to these highly patriotic initiatives, which are in line with the movement’s desire to get the maximum number of Senegalese involved in the defence of democracy and the rule of law.” , concluded the movement.
