2023-10-29 13:56:52
From our correspondent in Dakar – The first pro-Palestinian rally in Dakar, since the escalation between Israel and Hamas, which was to be held on Saturday, was banned by the prefect of Dakar “for failure to respect the deadlines” for declaring a demonstration. A decision which fuels criticism from a section of public opinion, which considers Dakar’s position “too soft” since October 7 even though the country is a historic defender of the Palestinian cause.
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Jersey of the legendary Deportivo Palestino club, keffiyeh with the inscription “victory of Palestine”: Mansour Ndiaye wishes to send a message of support to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, who have been suffering for three weeks from massive bombardments by the Israeli army following the unprecedented and deadly Hamas attack on October 7.
This pro-Palestinian activist, whom we find in front of the Grand Mosque of Dakar, is incomprehensible following the ban on the peaceful gathering planned to be organized by the National Alliance for the Palestinian Cause of Senegal. This association, created in 2012 and of which he is a member, planned to demonstrate unconditional support for Palestine on the esplanade of the Islamic Institute of Dakar.
“We had taken all the necessary steps to inform the authorities. We even sent a letter of invitation to the Minister of the Interior. On Wednesday, the authorities called us to ask us to get closer to the Dakar prefecture. We submitted the letter the same day, respecting all their instructions. Friday, they surprised us by deciding to ban the demonstration,” laments Mansour Ndiaye.
“We are legalists,” he continues. According to the prefect, any gathering must be declared three days before the event. “We are not going to defy the ban, but from Monday, we will submit another request for a demonstration for Saturday, November 4. We were expecting a human tide this Saturday, but there will be even more people next Saturday, it’s a step back to jump better,” he consoles himself.
Moderate diplomacy
Mansour Ndiaye is one of the Senegalese who consider Senegalese diplomacy very moderate since October 7. On social networks, criticism has multiplied since the ban on the gathering but also since the publication of the press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the subject the next day. “The government of the Republic of Senegal condemns the attacks at the origin of this new spiral of violence and calls on the parties to exercise restraint,” we could read.
Recalling its role as president of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Senegal also called for the resumption of negotiations to achieve a two-state solution.
“In recent years, we have noticed that Senegal’s official position is increasingly mixed. He wants to adopt a neutral position. This neutrality does not reflect popular opinion in Senegal. Senegal’s position must be on the side of the Palestinians. Above all, he must condemn Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip,” argues Mansour Ndiaye.
“We talk to Israel, we talk to Palestine”
These criticisms are unjustified according to Yoro Dia, Minister responsible for Communication of the Presidency of the Republic. According to him, Senegal’s position on the Palestinian crisis has never changed.
“Senegal has defended the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people at the UN for 40 years. Senegal is one of the first countries to recognize Palestine. Abassy, a former Palestinian ambassador to Senegal, is buried in Dakar at the request of Yasser Arafat at the time. And the latter had a Senegalese diplomatic passport,” lists Yoro Dia, who wishes to point out that this historic posture of Senegal is still relevant today.
“Since President Léopold Sédar Senghor (president of Senegal from 1960 to 1980) Senegal has always adopted a common sense position in all conflicts in the world. This is the case, for example, of the war in Ukraine. We talk to everyone. In the Middle East, we talk to Israel and we talk to Palestine,” continues Dia, assuring that “Senegal has no lessons to learn from any country in the world on its support for the Palestinian cause”.
An opinion shared by Bakary Sambe, specialist in Arab-African relations and regional director of the Timbuktu Institute think tank. He believes that the diplomatic language of Senegal should be analyzed without confusing it with the temperament of the population, which is fundamentally pro-Palestinian.
“Senegal has a classic position. It is one of the few countries in the Muslim world that can speak to everyone else. His voice is so valuable that he has been head of the committee in charge of Palestinian rights at the UN since 1975,” he explains.
Made up of 95% Muslims, Senegal chairs the Permanent Committee for the organization of the Islamic Conference for Information and Cultural Affairs (Comiac). According to the researcher, the country followed diplomatic variations in the Arab world on Israel. In recent years, the Jewish state has become closer to several Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Qatar.
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“These developments in the Arab world have meant that Senegal’s position has become measured by clinging to principles that have not changed. If there is a variation in the language, it is linked to the variation in positions in the Arab world, particularly in countries like Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt, Senegal’s allies in the region” analyzes Bakary Sambe.
As the Israeli army continues its deadly military operation in the Gaza Strip, calls for de-escalation are increasing around the world. Dakar for its part remains discreet.
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