Cameroonian political scientist Pascal Messanga Nyamding has weighed in on the political situation in Senegal, emphasizing the importance of respecting the agreements between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his mentor, Ousmane Sonko. During the program CLUB D’ÉLITES on Vision4, he expressed his unease with the questioning of these commitments, stressing the importance of keeping one's word in African politics.
"I am bothered by what is happening in Senegal for two reasons," he stated. He questioned the ability of opposition figures, once in power, to honor the hopes placed in them by the people. He deplored a certain "political frivolity" and a "colonial mental heritage" which, according to him, undermine the credibility of Africa.
Mr. Messanga Nyamding drew a parallel with the situation in Russia, where Boris Yeltsin had entrusted the presidency to Dmitri Medvedev, while Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister. He criticized the Western press, which he said interprets such arrangements in Africa as a sign of Africans' inability to manage power, noting a form of racial condescension.
The political scientist recalled that the political agreements surrounding Ousmane Sonko were clear and assumed before the presidential election. He mentioned the context in which Sonko's candidacy was compromised, but where his supporters affirmed their determination to support any candidate designated to return power to him later. "Even if we are asked to support a dog, we will support him in order to get that person to return power to Sonko," he quoted as being the mindset of Pastef activists.
"In the archives and in history, Bassirou Diomaye Faye had pledged, if he came to power, to hand it back to Ousmane Sonko," Mr. Messanga Nyamding insisted. He deplored that some Africans are questioning this commitment by invoking institutional arguments such as the sacred nature of the presidential office and the indivisibility of power. For him, these were clear agreements that must be respected: "Africans must learn to keep their word," he concluded.
The political situation in Senegal therefore remains a subject of passionate debate, both nationally and internationally, with calls for respect for commitments made and for the consolidation of trust between leaders and the people.
