Senegalese Security Forces Kill Three, Arrest Hundreds in Crackdown on Election Protests

On February 9 and 10, Senegalese security forces killed three people, including a 16-year-old boy, and arrested hundreds in a violent crackdown on protests against the postponement of the presidential election. Demonstrations in Saint-Louis, Dakar, and Ziguinchor escalated as security forces used lethal force to disperse protesters.

Among the victims was Alpha Yoro Tounkara, a 22-year-old geography student at Gaston Berger University, who was killed when police blocked students from entering the city center in Saint-Louis. Modou Gueye, a 23-year-old street vendor, was fatally shot while trying to collect his goods in Colobane. His death certificate confirmed that he died from gunshot-induced internal injuries.

On February 10, security forces in Ziguinchor shot 16-year-old Landing Camara in the head. His family recounted how he was forced outside due to tear gas, only to be struck by police gunfire. Camara succumbed to his injuries shortly after being taken to the hospital.

According to lawyers and the opposition, since February 9, security forces across the country have arrested 271 people, including women and children. Most of those detained are members and supporters of the dissolved opposition party African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (PASTEF), but civil society activists and others were also targeted. At least 66 have been released, while some detainees have reported severe beatings.

Eyewitnesses, journalists, and victims’ relatives have reported widespread repression and brutality by security forces, intensifying concerns over human rights violations and freedom of assembly in Senegal.