Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Colonel (Ret.) Adama Diop, former head of Media and Strategy at the Senegalese Armed Forces Information and Public Relations Directorate (DIRPA) has strongly criticized Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko for what he describes as “deep contradictions” in his public stance toward the defense and security forces, arguing that the Prime Minister’s recent praise for the military at the National Assembly stands in sharp contrast with his past disparaging remarks.
Adama Diop made the remarks in a sharply worded opinion piece drawing on his decades of frontline command experience in Senegal and the sub-region.
Diop, who served in some of Senegal’s most grueling theaters, from the banks of the Senegal River to Casamance and the outskirts of Bissau, recalled nights spent in muddy trenches, weeks without showers, and the constant vigilance required to protect his men under enemy threat.
He contrasted those lived realities with the posture of politicians who, he argued, “have never faced enemy fire or witnessed the death of one of our own.”
In his text, Diop accused Prime Minister Sonko of reversing his tone after years of publicly lambasting the military and accusing some officers of serving foreign agendas.
“The Prime Minister was full of praise for the National Army before the National Assembly on November 28,” the retired colonel wrote. “I say no, because you called us ‘mercenaries in the pay of France’ in Mali. I say no, because you insinuated an institutional breakdown by targeting an honest man… virtuous, courageous, and a first-rate fighter.”
Diop also condemned what he described as attempts by some political actors close to Sonko to “throw distinguished officers to the wolves,” erasing their service and commitment to preserving Senegal’s stability during turbulent periods.
The veteran officer emphasized that Senegal’s Defence and Security Forces (FDS) remain apolitical, loyal to the Republic, and central to the country’s long-standing institutional stability. He recalled instances from Senegal’s recent history, including the height of the Casamance conflict, when the army’s discipline and unity prevented institutional collapse, even under intense strain.
“The discipline and respect you mentioned are the driving forces on which they rely daily,” he noted, adding that this loyalty was evident in the military’s conduct during and after the last presidential election.
Diop urged political leaders to refrain from involving the armed forces in political debates or instrumentalizing them for partisan purposes, stressing that the military’s cohesion is vital to safeguarding Senegal’s democracy.
“We must not wait until we are in power to change our stance,” he warned, referencing past public attacks against the FDS by activists and public figures such as Mame Gor Diazaka, Guy Marius Sagna, and Seydi Gassama.
In closing, he reminded the Prime Minister that the men and women in uniform serve the Senegalese people, not any political faction:
“These men of duty will eternally demonstrate their loyalty to whomever the Senegalese people choose, regardless of political affiliation. They cannot be killed, but they cannot be dishonored.”
The op-ed, coming from one of the military’s long-serving strategic communicators, adds a significant voice to the ongoing debate around civil-military relations under the new government, especially as tensions persist between the executive and security institutions navigating Senegal’s evolving political landscape.
