Published on : 17/09/2022 – 06:51
In Senegal, the pan-African concert scheduled for this Saturday evening, September 17, “ for the limitation to two presidential terms was eventually banned. This event, the starting point of a citizen campaign on “raising awareness of democratic issues”, was to bring together eleven artists from seven countries at the Radisson Blu hotel in Dakar.
In his decision leading to the banning of the concert, the prefect of the department considers that the site ” does not present all the security guarantees for an event of such a size “, and that his outfit ” entails the risk of public disorder and accidents “. A decision “ incomprehensible » for David Dosseh, of the citizen movement « Tournons la page », one of the initiators of the concert, present in Dakar.
Asked by our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrache protests against the prefectoral decision: “Trouble with public order”… when we decide to organize a concert for 300 people in a closed space with a hotel like the Radisson Blu precisely, with a service of order, respectable people who were to be there , I confess that I do not understand. »
« Huge disappointment »
« For mehe said, it’s really a big disappointment. If we chose to come to Senegal to organize this concert, it is because Senegal is a great tradition and a democratic reference in Africa. Of course, we are totally surprised by this decision which leaves us perplexed. We will send the song to the media. We also planned a clip. These elements will therefore constitute for us, plan B to officially launch the campaign for the limitation of the number of presidential terms in Africa. »
« But that further strengthens us in our desire to put an end to these multiple mandates in Africa since we realize that it is this desire – precisely – to seize power that leads to all these decisions which are anti-democratic and which aim to restrict public space in Africa », concludes David Dosseh.
►Also read : Senegal: the concert for the limitation of mandates awaits the “yes” of the authorities