POLITICS
SENEGAL – Ousmane Sonko case: Captain Oumar Touré of the research section resigns
Captain Oumar Touré, principal investigator in the Adji Sarr/Ousmane Sonko case, has just tendered his resignation from the Gendarmerie.Suspected of being on the side of the opponent Ousmane Sonko, he claims to be the subject of all-out attacks by elements of the Senegalese National Intelligence Directorate. The captain informed his hierarchy, but it was total lethargy, no serious action was taken. He continues to be closely monitored and his calls are bugged. This cabal that he considers insane pushes him to submit his resignation from the National Gendarmerie. Here is his letter of resignation published this Sunday, March 7, 2021
Dear Senegalese and Senegalese.
My name is Oumar Touré. My name is not unknown to you because it appears in the minutes of the case between Miss Adji SARR and the honourable MP Ousmane SONKO.
I am only a captain of the Gendarmerie, who is obliged to speak at the risk of my life because to the impossible, no one is required.
Since the leak of the minutes concerning this investigation I have been followed by individuals whose real motivation I do not know until I was informed that they were elements of the National Directorate of Senegalese Intelligence. On a private matter, I was rather surprised by this measure.
I entered my hierarchy by correspondence dated March 03, 2021, of my fears for my safety and that of my family.
Since then, no action has been taken and the individuals continue their forfeiture by following all my movements, going as far as wiretapping my communications by anticipating all my actions. Which is a violation of my constitutional rights. All this because I am wrongly suspected of being in the pay of an opponent whom I did not meet until the day of delivery of his first summons of which I was the bearer, thus doing my work according to the orders of my leaders.
It is true that I am bound by the right of reservation. However, when the State does not apply reciprocity by respecting its commitments to me, by endangering my life and that of my family, I am entitled to denounce and take the Senegalese to witness. I would like to inform the national and international community that anything that happens to me or to a member of my family will be the exclusive responsibility of the State of Senegal and the national gendarmerie which has done nothing to stop the violation of my rights. Who says nothing, consents then I cannot remain inert in the face of everything that may happen to me in the days to come.
I defy anyone to produce material proof of my contact with MP Ousmane SONKO except for the aforementioned reason.
There’s no reason to be watched like a common criminal as a public officer. If a gendarmerie officer can suffer such discrimination to please an individual I wonder how the Senegalese lamda will be treated. All these people who take office as a livelihood, wanting at all costs to maintain themselves even if it is necessary to plot to please the leader must take example on what happens to me today. The day you change sides or are suspected of being in the pay of an opponent you will be treated the same way.
Therefore, I am today submitting my resignation to the President of the Republic of Senegal by hierarchical means, voluntarily and absolutely renouncing the prerogatives attached to my rank.
I prefer hunger with a quiet conscience than opulence by losing my sleep and my security.
All my life I have fought injustice and now I am the object of it.
My greatest honour was to serve the homeland through the Gendarmerie, made up largely of men of integrity and worth, whom I will not forget until my last breath.
I deplore everything that is happening in our country for a simple matter. I offer my condolences to all those families who have lost their loved ones over the past few days.
Senegalese youth do not listen to the inciting speech of this irresponsible interior minister, do not listen to Idrissa SECK’s sleepy speech, which has ended up being the laughingstock of history, and do not listen to those who manipulate public opinion with words. Look instead at the legacy of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba, El Hadj Malick SY and Baye NIASS and so many others.
Do not ask for the resignation of the President of the Republic because he was elected, let us wait for the electoral deadline not to tarnish our democracy but nevertheless, the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Justice and the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Dakar must resign.
I want to give my support to all those Senegalese who have lost a being or a good.I also support all those who have called for justice in this country.
I thank Commander Mbengue and all my collaborators in the Research Section.Everyone I have served with knows that I love and respect the gendarmerie but not at the cost of my dignity
I hope that peace will return to our beloved country. Thank you.
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
