Dressed in an elegant white dress embroidered with flowers, Adji Sarr arrived confidently in room 4 of the courthouse in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday, May 16. The plaintiff was eagerly awaited. Since she filed a complaint against Ousmane Sonko, the main opponent of President Macky Sall, for rape in February 2021, she has been at the center of attention. Mr. Sonko was absent, still reclusive in his house in Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance, of which he is mayor and where he has settled for a few days. He decided to defy the Senegalese authorities, refusing to comply with his summons.
Highly anticipated, the hearing only lasted a few minutes. The judge quickly postponed the trial to May 23, causing the annoyance of the civil parties. "We've been ready for more than two years. We gotta get this over with! “, protested at the bar El Hadj Diouf, Adji Sarr’s lawyer. Mr. Sonko's lawyers pleaded for a more distant dismissal in order to have time to study the file, "which is more than 470 pages". The president of the criminal chamber of Dakar confirmed his decision to "dismiss a week".
Will the opponent then change his strategy and appear before the court in Dakar? "We do not object to appearing if the conditions of security and respect for human dignity are met and the bullying, violence and barricades stop", assured Bamba Cissé, his lawyer, at the exit of the court. “The judge will confirm whether he releases him or orders his body to be seized, that is, whether or not he decides to put him in prison throughout the trial. It is then up to the authorities to assume their responsibilities, ”continued Me Cissé, who nevertheless pleads for his arrival.
An arrest of Ousmane Sonko, very popular among young people, raises fears of violence. On the eve of the hearing on Monday, scuffles broke out in Ziguinchor and in several districts of Dakar to "shield" against a possible arrest whose aim would be to compel him to appear. According to the Ministry of the Interior, two young people died, one in Dakar "by stabbing" and the other, "still unidentified", in Ziguinchor. A police officer also died after being hit by a security force vehicle during law enforcement operations.
Adji Sarr "zen and courageous"
In a statement, the Minister of the Interior "strongly urged parents to avoid their children participating in violent demonstrations, as they are often the breeding ground for malicious individuals who take advantage of them to commit assault, rape , looting and other acts of vandalism".
El Malick Ndiaye, communication secretary of the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef, Mr. Sonko's party), continues to call for "resistance" and demands "the resignation of the president Macky Sall" in the face of the death of victims "by live ammunition", according to him.
“Why create deaths, burn buses and houses? This case has nothing to do with the elections, it's a trial between a man and a woman, everyone must come with their evidence and the court will decide, "says Me Diouf indignantly. He assures that his client "is ready to do battle" with Mr. Sonko before the criminal chamber. "We would have liked to have him face to face and witness a confrontation", launches the lawyer, who assures that Adji Sarr is "zen and courageous".
Ousmane Sonko, declared candidate for the 2024 presidential election, denounces behind this court case a plot to remove him from the political arena. A conviction could make him ineligible, as could a trial in absentia.
Gathered within a facilitation group, civil society figures advocate an inclusive political dialogue and call for "de-escalation in order to preserve the fundamentals and values of the Republic, guarantors of social cohesion and peace", indicates a statement. "Meetings and consultations with religious authorities, political actors, civil society as well as socio-professional organizations" will continue "with a view to contributing to peace, security and stability which are increasingly threatened" in the country .
