Juan Branco: The Arrogance of the Self-Proclaimed Prosecutor (By Ibrahima Baba Sall)

Juan Branco has missed the mark again. True to form, he attempted, in his lyrical outbursts, to put President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on trial for his intentions following the creation of his political party. His text drips with contempt, condescension, and an unbearable presumption to speak on behalf of the Senegalese people, the martyrs, the imprisoned women, and future generations.

But ultimately, who is Juan Branco to claim such a right?

A French lawyer who has never received any mandate from the Senegalese people. A man whose legal troubles, in France and elsewhere, should, however, encourage him to exercise more restraint. A figure who fancies himself a universal prosecutor for African leaders while he already struggles to calmly answer for matters that concern him personally.

Senegal is not an extension of his revolutionary fantasies. Our country is not meant to serve as a backdrop for the political and media ambitions of a man who seems more concerned with his own self-promotion than with the future of the Senegalese people.

A head of state discussing investment, tourism, infrastructure, or economic partnerships with the President of the United States is neither a betrayal nor a surrender. Governing a country is not about turning every diplomatic meeting into an ideological rally. Foreign policy is not simply about slogans concerning sovereignty, Palestine, or African currencies.

It requires pragmatism, discernment, and a vision of national interests.

What humiliates Africa is certainly not a golf course. What humiliates it is this old paternalistic temptation that leads some Western intellectuals to believe that they are better placed than Africans themselves to define what their dignity, their struggles, and their political choices should be.

The Senegalese people need neither guardians nor self-proclaimed prophets. They have repeatedly demonstrated their democratic maturity and their ability to punish or reward their leaders at the ballot box.

Juan Branco should also remember that the sacrifices made by Senegalese citizens do not belong to him. The blood of the victims cannot be exploited to satisfy anyone's political frustrations. These sacrifices demand respect, responsibility, and restraint, not verbal excesses and condemnations.

Finally, there is something indecent about hearing a man dogged by his own legal controversies handing out certificates of dignity and public morality. Before setting himself up as a judge of world leaders, Juan Branco would do better to devote his energy to settling his own affairs.

Senegal will continue on its path with or without his approval. Its destiny belongs to the Senegalese people and to them alone.

Juan Branco only has one thing to do: mind his own business.

Ibrahima Baba Sall

Mayor of Bakel