A veritable operation of terror is underway in Senegal where the state is trying at all costs to muzzle the supporters of Ousmane Sonko, the country’s leading opponent. In fact, since the accusations of rape without any foundation that target him and which seem to be a real cabal to bring him down, the state is taking advantage of this to sow panic by tracking down any support of the opponent to their last strongholds.
Thus, for a week, several supporters of the party have been arrested. A veritable purge has been put in place and no citizen is now spared. The police commanders who refuse to participate in the masquerade are gambling their professional future. The agents of Sonatel (Senegalese telecommunications company) are picked up, like terrorists, for divulging the personal data of the authorities threatened by the famous « Sonko Boys », a group that is said to be very active on the Internet and which the state brandishes as the new threat facing the country.
It’s very interesting to focus on these « Sonko Boys » who, strangely enough, remind us of the « Proud Boys », the Nazi and racialist group that openly supported Donald Trump’s campaign, even though the latter has, on several occasions, rejected any link with them.
While in the United States the « Proud Boys » movement does exist, in Senegal the « Sonko Boys » seem to be part of a fantasy used by the state to lock down social networks, censor divergent opinions, muzzle all opponents (not just Sonko supporters) and unleash a veritable campaign of terror whose ultimate aim is to gag citizens who oppose the regime.
It is sad to note that the Sonko Affair, which is based on absolutely nothing, seems to be a golden opportunity for the Senegalese state to proceed with the elimination of a movement whose leader has not ceased, at least in recent years, to mobilize more and more supporters because of the relevance of his arguments but also because of his intrepidity to stand up to the state at his own risk.
With this affair, we unfortunately risk experiencing a Senegalese-style « Patriot Act ». And in this chapter, Sonko’s supporters and, in the end, the entire opposition risks being considered as « the new red terror » that must be got rid of in the name of the country’s political and social stability.
The scenario that awaits us is as follows: in the near future, social networks will be locked down by a regime obsessed with power, the opposition will be forced to show its white paw in order to exist, and on Facebook, any group supporting Ousmane Sonko risks being blocked without any explanation being given to its administrators.
There is an urgent need to react. Dictatorship is no longer a fantasy in Senegal. It is very real.
Cheikh Dieng
Lecourrierdusoir.com.
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