Alioune Badara Coulibaly (APR): "Senegal is mired in a tense, weakened, and fragmented democracy."

Alioune Badara Coulibaly, spokesperson for the Alliance for the Republic (APR), delivers a scathing indictment of the current regime. In an opinion piece titled "Senegal, a tense, weakened, and fractured democracy!", he argues that the Diomaye-Sonko government is facing profound social and political disillusionment.

According to him, the frustration of young Senegalese, illustrated in particular by the temptation of illegal emigration, is a sign of "Sonko-Diomaye's failure." "Young Senegalese, now disappointed by the new authorities, are brooding over their frustrations, undoubtedly waiting to set sail and attempt a hypothetical ocean crossing. They naturally think they are heading for greener pastures. This reflects Sonko-Diomaye's failure. The regime is aware of this to the point that, to mask the disillusionment, it is covering up and disguising the facts, hoping to get away with it. It often conceals the truth and tries to absolve itself by explaining that its predecessors never did anything to resolve, for example, the issue of youth unemployment."

Alioune Badara Coulibaly also denounces what he calls the "discrediting of the word" of leaders. In his view, the contradictions and reversals in political discourse contribute to weakening the authority of the State and "undermining the Republic."

“This state lie and the discrediting of the word of political decision-makers undermine and ruin the Republic, while at the same time inexorably eroding their authority. These two flaws, which have become major vices in current political practice, are the primary gravediggers of the Republic. No one believes the word of our leaders anymore. It has become commonplace, in that it almost always contradicts itself,” insists Mr. Coulibaly.

The APR spokesperson focused his criticism particularly on Ousmane Sonko, whom he accused of not abandoning his opposition stance. He accused the former Prime Minister of lacking "state-building skills," resorting to manipulation, and leading the country into "constant improvisation."

He said: “These authorities who preside over our destiny are astounding in their duplicity and bad faith. For them, lies and manipulation serve as a means of circumvention and avoidance. It is a method they use to try to appease consciences. This strategy, used without subtlety, especially by the former Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, appears as a major admission. It is proof of a proven incompetence in the conduct of public office.”

He adds: “Unable to shed his opposition persona, Ousmane Sonko, who seized the presidency of the National Assembly by force, has been unable to adopt a different one. He has lost touch with reality, is drowning in incoherence, and is trying to save himself from disaster by resorting to subterfuge and means that are almost all, at times, as disloyal as they are illegitimate , in order to devour the Republic and thus put it at his exclusive service.”

Beyond the person of Mr. Sonko, Alioune Badara Coulibaly questions Pastef's ability to govern. He cites difficulties in addressing economic and social emergencies, disagreements at the highest levels of government, slow reforms, and a worrying state of public finances.