Senegal’s Wade intensifies campaign amid protests

  1. Posted on Wednesday 15 February 2012 - 08:39
    Jammeh
    Image of Jammeh
    Buya Jammeh, AfricaNews reporter in Dakar, Senegal
    Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade is facing widespread condemnation in the country side as he continues campaign to seek for a third term on February 26. The defiant aging President wooed voters in the troubled Casamance with a new peace plan as mobilization against his much disputed third term bid.
    Wade
    Wade, who has campaigned actively throughout the country over the past week while brushing off criticism over his third term candidacy, offered separatist rebels in the restive region a new path to peace.

    However; the rapper-led movement "Fed Up" called for a mass protest on Valentine’s Day to pressure the incumbent Abdoulaye Wade to step aside.

    Deadly riots and protests have marked the tense election period, but most presidential candidates -- who had vowed to work together to unseat Wade -- have refocused on their own election campaigns.

    Peace in Casamace
    Wade toured several towns in the Casamance, a region that is facing violence by separatist rebels ongoing despite earlier promise before his election in 2000 to solve the crisis in 100 days.

    "I propose the DDP plan: disarmament, demining, projects," he said at a rally in the town of Bignona, guarded by a heavy contingent of soldiers.

    Wade further offered rebels five major agricultural projects each covering 20,000 acres (49,000 hectares), across the region.

    He promised to finance the project entirely and said the rebel leaders he had put the plan to had responded favourably.

    The MFDC has been fighting for independence since 1982 in the fertile southern province separated from the rest of Senegal by the Gambia, which boasts sweeping palm-fringed beaches and is also home to West Africa's longest running conflict.

    Violence soared over November and December with 23 people, including 10 civilians, killed in fighting.

    More protests
    The Rapper led movement and opposition leaders has promise said From Tuesday evening we will spend the night at Obelisk Square and we will stay there permanently to continue their struggle against Wade.

    President Wade’s convoy was stone at Thiess city one of the opposition strongholds; after he told supporters that he instructed the magistrates courts to stop the housing project initiated by Edrissa Seck his former closed ally now an opposition leader.

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