Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Senegalese political figure Cheikh Oumar Diagne has been placed in pre-trial detention following his appearance before prosecutors in Dakar over allegations of spreading false information related to the death of a university student.
Cheikh Oumar Diagne was a close ally of the PASTEF regime until December 31, 2024, when Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed him from his post as minister in charge of Administration and Equipment at the Presidency.
The decision followed controversial remarks Diagne made in a 12-minute interview in Wolof aired on Fafa TV on December 21. During the interview, he criticized the historical Senegalese Tirailleurs, claiming that those who celebrate them do not understand who they were and describing them as “traitors who fought against their brothers for money.”
This time, Diagne was remanded on Monday, March 9, after being presented to the public prosecutor at the Dakar tribunal. He is facing charges of disseminating false news and defamation following controversial remarks he made during a televised program.
During the broadcast, the leader of the Rassemblement pour la Vérité / And Ci Dëgg accused Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, of being responsible for the death of Abdoulaye Ba, a second-year dental student at Cheikh Anta Diop University.
According to Diagne, the prime minister acknowledged in a public statement at the National Assembly, giving orders for police to enter the university campus during unrest involving students. He claimed the security intervention led to harsh treatment of students and ultimately resulted in Ba’s death.
The remarks triggered swift action from the public prosecutor, who ordered the urban security unit of Dakar’s central police station to open an investigation into the statements.
During his first interrogation by investigators, Diagne, accompanied by his lawyer, maintained that Sonko bears “political responsibility” for the student’s death, arguing that the government had instructed police to intervene at the university.
Following his questioning, the prosecutor ordered that he be placed under a mandat de dépôt (remand in custody). Judicial sources say Diagne is scheduled to appear on Wednesday before the Dakar flagrante delicto court, where the case will be examined.
Prior to his transfer to prison, Diagne had been held in police custody at the Urban Security division of the Dakar Central Police Station under the authority of divisional commissioner Mamadou Tendeng.
During his detention, Diagne received a visit over the weekend from Mame Makhtar Guèye, a senior official of the Islamic advocacy organization Jamra Association, who joined him for the breaking of the Ramadan fast.
In a message posted on social media after the visit, Guèye sought to reassure supporters about Diagne’s condition, describing him as “dignified, smiling, and maintaining his legendary strength of character.” He also urged the public to remember the detained political figure in their prayers.
Guèye compared the visit to a previous prison visit JAMRA had paid to Diagne and activist Abdou Karim Gueye at the Sébikotane prison during the final period of former president Macky Sall’s administration.
Diagne now awaits his court appearance today as the Senegalese judiciary proceeds with the case stemming from his allegations against the prime minister.
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