On Tuesday, March 30, 2021, the trial of Senegalese activist Ousmane Tounkara was held in the United States. He was arrested on March 15, following a complaint from the State of Senegal for “terrorism and death threats”.
Ousmane Tounkara is an activist known on social networks for his diatribes and his virulence towards the Senegalese government. He was arrested on March 15, 2021 following a complaint filed by Senegal with the American authorities.
Indeed, Senegal accuses him of having launched calls for violence from the United States where he lives, during the demonstrations which had been provoked by the arrest of the opponent Ousmane Sonko, the leader of the Pastef party. The Patriots. The latter is accused by the masseuse Adji Sarr of rape and repeated threats. The Senegalese activist is said to have called for the burning of residences belonging to the country’s authorities during the popular uprising which had lasted for three consecutive days.
Ousmane Tounkara is currently at the Huston County Correctional Center for more than two weeks. The decision on his case is postponed until April 27, 2021, he faces deportation. Indeed, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) judge in charge of immigration and customs has decided to hand him over to the State of Senegal. His lawyer has until April 27 to appeal and prove that the respondent is not a terrorist. He will be before the judge on May 11, 2021 for a final notification.
Senegalese living in the United States had come in large numbers to support the activist at this crucial hearing. Some have denounced the Senegalese state for wanting to demonize the Senegalese diaspora to the American authorities. According to them, Ousmane Tounkara is not a terrorist. “Ousmane Tounkara is not a terrorist because a terrorist cannot have so many people supporting him. A terrorist must belong to an Islamist movement and we know that he does not belong to any of these groups. It’s sad, it’s really sad. ” launches artist Sankara Mbaye who was among those who came on the day of the trial to support Ousmane Tounkara.
It should be noted that before the Ousmane Tounkara case, activist Assane Diouf, nicknamed the government’s “number insultor”, was arrested and charged under similar conditions before being handed over to the Senegalese authorities on August 30, 2017.
