Dakar, Senegal – (African Boulevard News) – Amnesty International announced on Thursday that it had recorded 23 deaths in the recent unrest that rocked Senegal, surpassing the official toll of the authorities. The organization issued a call for an independent investigation into the matter.
According to the statement, Amnesty has researched and compiled “evidence suggesting that the security forces used unnecessary and excessive force against protesters” during the unrest, which took place from March 3-5, 2021. They further claimed that many protesters were “arbitrarily arrested and detained,” with some experiencing “torture and other ill-treatment” while in custody.
The Senegalese government has admitted to a significantly lower death toll of ten, with Interior Minister Antoine Diome saying that “there were no more than ten deaths, including three in Dakar.” However, the official statement from Amnesty International states otherwise.
“We have reliable information showing that the number of people killed is much higher than the ten acknowledged by the authorities,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa Director. “An independent investigation is urgently needed to shed light on this.”
Furthermore, Amnesty International is calling on the Senegalese government to release all individuals who were arrested arbitrarily during the protests and to investigate allegations of abuse by security forces.
The unrest began when opposition figure Ousmane Sonko was arrested on March 3, 2021, and charged with participating in public unrest and disturbing public order. His arrest sparked protests in several Senegalese cities, with the police clashing with demonstrators and using tear gas.
Sonko, who has denied the charges against him, is seen as a potential threat to President Macky Sall’s re-election bid in 2024. The upcoming presidential election has already caused tensions in the country, with opposition groups accusing the government of trying to silence dissent and rig the election.
The Senegalese government has responded to the Amnesty International statement, calling it “premature” and insisting that the investigation is still ongoing. Meanwhile, protests are continuing, with demonstrators demanding justice for those who were killed during the unrest.
“The situation in Senegal is very worrying, and it’s important that the government takes steps to address the concerns of its citizens,” said Daoud. “An independent investigation is crucial to ensuring that justice is done for those who have been affected by this violence.”
