Senegal: Pastef appeals to the Court of Justice of ECOWAS and the Supreme Court

Ousmane Sonko's lawyers have filed two appeals with two courts. They are asking the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to order the Senegalese government to suspend the dissolution of the Pastef party and to restore the party's political rights in view of the presidential election scheduled for 25 February 2024.

The first appeal was lodged with the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the second with the Senegalese Supreme Court. In both cases, the lawyers are seeking the annulment or at least the suspension of the decision to dissolve Ousmane Sonko's political group.

For Maître Abdullaye Tall, lawyer and spokesperson for Pastef, there is no legal argument to justify the dissolution, which took place on 31 July: "The party has never broken the law, and it is one of the few political groups that fulfils its obligation to submit an annual financial statement. It is therefore a party that has always complied with the law of the Republic.

The hope is that the Court of Justice of ECOWAS will rule in favour of Pastef and declare its dissolution illegal, which would oblige Senegal to reverse its decision.

But the big question is how long it will take the Court of Justice of the Community of West African States to reach a decision. The same applies to the Senegalese Supreme Court, with the presidential election only five months away.