Senegalese police officers killed three people, including a 16 year-old boy, and arrested hundreds in a violent crackdown on protesters in Saint-Louis, Dakar and Ziguinchor on 9-10 February as many people demonstrated against the delay of presidential elections, Amnesty International said today.
Evidence gathered from relatives of the victims, eyewitnesses and journalists covering the protests show the escalating repression and brutality against protesters.
Senegalese authorities continue to display utter disregard for peaceful dissent. Authorities must promptly, thoroughly, independently, impartially, transparently and effectively investigate the lethal use of force against protestors, including the killings of three people over the weekend
Samira Daoud, Amnesty International's Regional Director for West and Central Africa
“Senegalese authorities continue to display utter disregard for peaceful dissent. Authorities must promptly, thoroughly, independently, impartially, transparently and effectively investigate the lethal use of force against protestors, including the killings of three people over the weekend,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
“Authorities must ensure that those suspected to be responsible are brought to justice in fair trials and that victims and their families are provided with access to justice and effective remedies.”
“Parliament must also amend the Senegalese legislation on the use of firearms by police officers, which is obsolete and does not reflect the country’s international human rights obligations to respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“The authorities must also immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights.”
Lethal use of force
Since 4 February 2024, police officers have carried out an alarming wave of arrests, rounding up demonstrators and brutally cracking down on protests.
Alpha Yoro Tounkara, a 22 year-old male geography student of Gaston Berger University, was killed in Saint-Louis on 9 February when police officers blocked protesting students from entering the city centre from their campus. A student, who was marching with Alpha Yoro, told Amnesty International:
“We decided to take to the streets but soon enough, they [police] started firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse us. Alpha was hit under the armpit and fell. We took him to hospital but soon after he was pronounced dead.”
We decided to take to the streets but soon enough, they [police] started firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse us. Alpha was hit under the armpit and fell. We took him to hospital but soon after he was pronounced dead
Alpha Yoro, Eyewitness
Another victim of the lethal use of force by police was Modou Gueye, a 23-year-old male Guinaw-Rails resident and hawker, who was hit by a bullet while trying to collect his wares in Colobane. The brother of Modou Gueye, Dame Gueye, told Amnesty International:
“Modou was hit in the stomach by a man in a blue uniform. They were a big group and the only thing I thought about was to get Modou out of here. We managed to get him to the hospital… he was pronounced dead [the next day].”
Amnesty International is in possession of Modou Gueye’s death certificate, which cites the cause of death as “thoracoabdominal trauma by firearms with burst liver resulting in refractory hemorrhagic shock”.
On 10 February, a 16-year-old male protester, Landing Camara, was shot in the head by security forces in Grand-Dakar, Ziguinchor. Moktar*, a representative of Landing Camara’s family, told Amnesty International:
“We were all at home when police fired tear gas. The smoke filled our homes, which prompted the kids, including Landing, to flee outside. But then police were firing, and they shot Landing in the forehead and another kid from our compound in the leg. We managed to take Landing to hospital, but the wound was grievous, and the medical staff dithered on what to do. He passed away 15 minutes after he was brought to the intensive care unit. He would have been 17 this March.”
Attacks against the press
In a video reviewed by Amnesty International, police officers can be seen during the protests brutally attacking peaceful protesters and firing teargas at reporters.
Mor Amar, a journalist at the L’Enquête Daily, and Secretary-General of the Senegalese Young Reporters’ Convention, was among those who were victims of police brutality on 9 February. He told Amnesty International:
“The protests hadn’t even started yet but the police officers came to us and told us to leave. Some of us were wearing press vests and others were not but we decided to move elsewhere to avoid unnecessary trouble. Then one of the police officers fired a tear gas canister that did not explode at our group. Absa Hanne, one of the journalists with us, told the police officers that they did not need to teargas us while we were leaving. One of the police officers tried to take Absa away from the group. As I resisted this, they started beating me and I was hit on the jaw and head. They managed to arrest Absa and took her in their car.”
Absa Hane, a journalist of Seneweb, told Amnesty International: “I was slapped and beaten on the head and neck violently in the car. Despite showing them my press card and telling them that I had a chronic illness, they continued. I fainted and only regained consciousness afterwards inside our press car. I was taken to the hospital and released at around 10pm.”
I was slapped and beaten on the head and neck violently in the car. Despite showing them my press card and telling them that I had a chronic illness, they continued.
Absa Hane, Journalist, Seneweb
Besides Mor Amar and Absa Hane, police officers also used excessive force against journalists of Leral TV.
This brutal crackdown shows the lengths to which authorities are prepared to go to stifle human rights and media freedom. Senegalese authorities must promptly, thoroughly, independently, impartially, transparently and effectively investigate these attacks and bring to justice those suspected to be responsible
Seydi Gassama, Executive Director, Amnesty International, Senegal
“This brutal crackdown shows the lengths to which authorities are prepared to go to stifle human rights and media freedom. Senegalese authorities must promptly, thoroughly, independently, impartially, transparently and effectively investigate these attacks and bring to justice those suspected to be responsible,” said Seydi Gassama, Executive Director of Amnesty International Senegal.
Background
On 3 February 2024, the Senegalese president, Macky Sall, announced the suspension of presidential elections. The political opposition rejected the suspension and called for demonstrations.
The crackdown on protests, internet blackouts and threats against the media have become frequent in Senegal since March 2021. Amnesty International estimates that at least 60 people have died in the context of protests. To date, no one has been prosecuted.
Senegal has obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of everyone including the rights to freedom of expression, information, and peaceful assembly under articles 9 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Senegal is a state party.