Danger looms in Senegal, opposition supporters killed

  1. Posted on Friday 17 February 2012 - 09:19
    Jammeh
    Image of Jammeh
    Buya Jammeh, AfricaNews reporter in Dakar, Senegal
    The Senegalese political crisis is worsening following violent clashes between supporters of the opposition and ruling party killing three sympathizers of Benno Siggil Senegal opposition party led by Mustapha Niass 150km from Berkel Village southern Senegal. In a similar revenge supporters of the main opposition Socialist Party also launched an assault on the presidential convoy breaking windscreen of the presidential vehicle.
    Senegal
    Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets Wednesday after protesters defied a government ban march against President Abdoulaye Wade's bid for a third term in the February 26 presidential polls.

    Led by prominent opposition leaders demonstrators had attempted to march to Independence Square in the heart of the city, a few hundred metres from the presidential palace.

    The crowd of people grew to several hundred as riot police blocked the road to the presidency.

    Someone had spray-painted "Wade Degage" (Get out Wade) as police fired volleys of tear gas and sprayed protesters with boiled water as they dispersed and later regrouped.

    Edirssa Secka denounced "the violation of their constitutional rights".

    Music superstar Youssou Ndour made an appearance; Ndour has remained at the head of the anti-Wade campaign even after his own candidacy was blocked by the constitutional council, the country's top court.

    "Senegal needs to free itself, to rediscover its democracy... We are allowing a dictatorship to set in here," he said as dozens of fans clamoured around holding up cell phones and cameras.

    Fears of electoral fraud

    The European Union observer mission on Wednesday called in a statement for "more transparency" in the delivery of voters cards, the EU Observer mission further urge the Senegalese government to properly inform citizens of the procedures involved.

    Electoral commission spokesman Issa Sall said that of some 5.3 million people who registered to vote, up to 350,000 had not yet collected their voter cards.

    Senegalese belief that Wade’s second has been mired with corruption, electricity cuts, rising fuel and food prices while Wade focuses on big legacy construction projects. They also accused him of trying to groom his son Karim Wade as his successor.

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