Senegal: In Dakar, the concert "for the Limitation to 2 presidential terms" Banned by the Prefect

In Senegal, the pan-African concert planned for this Saturday evening, September 17, "  for the limitation to two presidential terms  " was finally 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 dimension  ", and that its holding "  entails risks of disturbances to the 'public order and accidents  '.  An " incomprehensible " decision  for David Dosseh, of the citizen movement "Turn the page", one of the initiators of the concert, present in Dakar.

Questioned by our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac , he protests against the prefectural decision: ""  Troubles in 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 admit that I do not understand. »

“  Big disappointment  ”

“  For me , he 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 this 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 capture power that leads to all these decisions which are anti-democratic and which aim to restrict public space in Africa  ", concludes David Dosseh.