He is one of the main faces of the opposition. The voice of those seeking renewal at the Senegal leadership, led by Macky Sall since 2012. Ousmane Sonko, who wears a suit and tie as well as sneakers and a hat, enjoys great support from the Senegalese population.
Ousmane Sonko, 48, is expected in court in Dakar on Thursday, March 30, where he will face charges of “defamation, insult and counterfeiting” by Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang. The trial, which has already been postponed twice, sparked a wave of popular protests against attempts to weaken opponents ahead of the elections. A conviction could prevent him from running in the February 2024 presidential election.
From tax official to celebrity
But a few years ago he was unknown to the Senegalese political scene. Ousmane Sonko was born in 1975 in Thiès, 70 kilometers east of Dakar. The son of civil servant parents grew up in Casamance and completed his studies at the Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, where he obtained his master’s degree in public law in 1999. Two years later he graduated from the National School of Administration (ENA) in Senegal and started his career as a tax inspector.
After three years in administration, he founded the Autonomous Union of Tax and Real Estate Agents (SAID). In 2014 he entered politics with the creation of his own party, the Pastef (Patriots of Senegal for Labour, Ethics and Fraternity).
In 2016, he came into the limelight when he accused the state of tax evasion and corruption based on his experience as an auditor. In particular, the official denounces the misappropriation of public funds or wrongly obtained tax advantages by those in power. He published Petrole et gaz au Sénégal – Chronique d’une spoliation (ed. Fauves), in which he denounced the management of the country’s natural resources by the President and his entourage.
He was then removed from public service by presidential decree for “breach of the duty of restraint.” “Actually, he became a leading figure at that time,” says Babacar Ndiaye, director of research and publications at the Dakar-based think tank Wathi.
Figure of a youth looking for change
Elected MP in 2017, he is comfortable on TV and smiling at meetings with activists. Ousmane Sonko knows how to use shocking phrases and defies the official narrative of a Senegal “on the way to departure”, promised by President Macky Sall.
In 2019 he entered the race for the presidential election. His speech seduces the youth. “He targets young people with remarks in favor of economic sovereignty and patriotism while criticizing the governance,” Babacar Ndiaye continues. “He came with a speech for change and found some form of support among young people. And above all, he is not a ‘politician’. But his critics criticize him for his lack of experience and his sensational speeches.”
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On February 24, 2019, he finished third in the presidential election with 15.67% of the vote, behind outgoing President Macky Sall and former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck.
Trials, a “sword of Damocles”
In February 2021, the opponent of Adji Sarr, a beauty salon worker, was charged with rape and death threats. He denies the facts and then denounces a political maneuver. His arrest sparked violent clashes between his supporters and the police. The wave of protests is of unprecedented proportions for this West African country known for its stability. Released under court supervision in March 2021, Ousmane Sonko claims to be the victim of a “state frame-up” initiated by relatives of President Macky Sall.
Ousmane Sonko speaks to reporters after being released from police custody on Monday, March 8, 2021, in Dakar, Senegal. © Sylvain Cherkaoui, AP
That doesn’t stop Ousmane Sonko from continuing his rise in politics. In 2022, he was elected Mayor of Ziguinchor after forming the Yewwi Askan Wi – YAW, Free the People in the Wolof language – coalition with several members of the opposition, including former mayor of Dakar Khalifa Sall.
As a social media ace, Ousmane Sonko speaks live on his Facebook page very regularly to reach a large segment of the Senegalese population, making the rest of the political class and its methods of communication old-fashioned. Far from the virtual, Ousmane Sonko also knows how to electrify crowds.
Mehdi Ba, who has interviewed him twice for Jeune Afrique in recent years, describes him as a “left sovereignist”. The journalist explains: “The tone of his political discourse is rather left-wing – even if the right-left grouping is not current in Senegal – and at the same time sovereignist, since he represents the interests of Senegal at the international level and those of the Senegal people at the national level” .
In August 2022, he is running for the next presidential election in February 2024. If Ousmane Sonko is on the rise, we must not forget “the sword of Damocles that hangs over his head because of the two legal cases against him and could become his if convicted in 2024 lockdown,” Mehdi Ba recalls.
“He could be Senegal’s next head of state”
If Ousmane Sonko can run for the presidency in 2024, “he could become Senegal’s next head of state,” says Nicolas Normand, former French ambassador to Dakar. Provided that the young people go to the polls. Aside from his contestation of the economic and social situation, Ousmane Sonko “exploits a widespread resentment that needs the Senegalese government and France, its main economic partner, as scapegoats,” he continues. In January, the opponent at France 24 had firmly denied “anti-French” sentiment: “We have nothing against France”.
Opposition supporters two days before the trial of Ousmane Sonko in Dakar, March 14, 2023. © AFP
In recent weeks, supporters of Ousmane Sonko have taken to the streets to denounce what they say is an attempt by President Macky Sall’s government to weaken the opposition ahead of the elections. The violence erupted on March 16 when police used tear gas on his supporters who were following his vehicle to the courthouse. “These problems advertise Sonko,” assures Nicolas Normand. “He uses all the awkwardness of the Force to his advantage.”
Following a call for a demonstration, supporters of Ousmane Sonko gathered at the Dakar University campus on Tuesday 29 March. “We witnessed a head-to-head encounter between the students and the massive security forces throwing stones at tear gas canisters,” says France 24 correspondent Sarah Sakho on the spot. According to Jeune Afrique’s Mehdi Ba, Ousmane Sonko is “someone who has been testing the repressive limits of the Macky Sall regime since 2021. Some of his critics accuse him of being a provocateur and of going too far in trying to reach the breaking point, beyond which things could spiral out of control.” The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) expressed “its deep concern at the intensification of repression against members of the political opposition and journalists” and called on the authorities “to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”, giving weight to opponent Ousmane Sonko.