Amnesty International Report 2005 - Senegal

Covering events from January - December 2004

There was a sharp fall in armed clashes in the Casamance region and in December a peace agreement aimed at putting a definitive end to the conflict was signed. Refugees and internally displaced people began returning home and there were efforts to rebuild destroyed infrastructure. Civil society groups protested publicly about arrests of journalists or political opponents. Senegal abolished the death penalty in December.

Background

In April, President Abdoulaye Wade dismissed Prime Minister Idrissa Seck's attempts to broaden the political base of the government. President Wade appointed Macky Sall as Prime Minister and the new government included Djibo Leïty Kâ, leader of the opposition Union for Renewal of Democracy (L'Union pour le renouveau démocratique, URD).

Reconstruction in Casamance

There was a sharp fall in clashes between the security forces and the armed opposition group claiming independence for Casamance, the Democratic Forces of Casamance Movement (Mouvement des forces démocratiques de Casamance, MFDC). Moreover, in September, the armed wing of the MFDC publicly committed itself to stop attacking civilians in Casamance. This encouraged former refugees and displaced people to return home. Noticeable efforts began to remove landmines, reconstruct demolished houses and revitalize the destroyed economy.

Negotiations to implement the peace agreements signed by the government and the MFDC in 2001 were reportedly hampered by internal divisions between rival factions of the MFDC. Leadership rivalries intensified between the MFDC's historic leader, Father Augustin Diamacoune Senghor, and the Secretary General, Jean-Marie Biagui. Jean-Marie Biagui was confirmed as Secretary General by a special MFDC general assembly in September and then called for the MFDC to be transformed into a political party called the Movement for Federalism and Constitutional Democracy (Mouvement pour le fédéralisme et la démocratie constitutionnelle, MFDC). However, in December, a peace agreement officially aimed at putting a definitive end to the conflict was signed by the Senegalese authorities and Father Diamacoune in Ziguinchor, the main city of Casamance.

Threats to freedom of expression

As in previous years, journalists and political opponents continued to be harassed and intimidated in an apparent attempt to restrict freedom of expression.

• In January, Mamadou Lamine Diop, spokesperson of the Reform Party (Parti de la réforme), was detained and interrogated for some hours by police from the Division of Criminal Affairs (Division des affaires criminelles) for criticizing President Wade in a radio interview.

• In July, Madiambal Diagne, managing editor of the daily newspaper, Le Quotidien, was detained and charged with "publishing confidential reports and correspondence, false information and news which could cause serious political problems". This arrest provoked a massive protest from human rights groups which accused the authorities of trying to muzzle the press. Most Senegalese private daily newspapers also pressed for his release. Madiambal Diagne was provisionally released after two weeks and by the end of 2004 no further judicial proceedings had been reported.

Impunity in Casamance

For many years members of the security forces responsible for massive human rights violations in Casamance had enjoyed impunity, as the authorities took no steps to investigate or bring them to justice. In June the government took a step further towards ensuring permanent impunity. It announced a general amnesty for members of the MFDC, a decision which will prevent the perpetrators of serious human rights abuses being brought to justice.

Abolition of the death penalty

In July, President Wade presented a bill to abolish the death penalty. It was unanimously approved by the Council of Ministers and was adopted in December by the National Assembly by an overwhelming majority.

As a result, the Minister of Justice announced that he would request the commutation of four pending death sentences. They included three death sentences passed in 2004 by the Dakar Criminal Court for robbery resulting in death.