Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – After two weeks of relatively calm campaigning, Senegal’s political climate has become increasingly tense in the final days before the election. Initially focused on party platforms and proposals, the debate has shifted to media coverage of escalating tensions and violent clashes between rival supporters.

This shift was starkly illustrated by confrontations between caravans of the Pastef and Sàmm Sa Kàddu coalitions—two factions whose electoral ambitions conflict sharply in a race where every vote is crucial.

Scenes of violence, particularly those erupting in Saint-Louis, reflect an increasingly volatile atmosphere. What began as a battle of ideas has transformed into a power struggle where force has overtaken discourse. Videos circulating on social media capture shocking images, more akin to street brawls than a democratic campaign.

Police raid Barthelemy Dias’ convoy and arrest his bodyguards.

In a dramatic turn, police forces intercepted the convoy of Barthélemy Dias, leader of the Sàmm Sa Kàddu coalition, after clashes in Saint-Louis. Following a late-night rally in Thiès, around 1 a.m., Dias’ convoy was en route to Dakar when the heavily armed Brigade d’Intervention Polyvalente (BIP) stopped the convoy near Allou Kagne. While Dias and a few leaders managed to evade the blockade by taking an alternate route, other vehicles were intercepted by a GMI police unit sent from Thiès to bolster the BIP.

On site, members of Dias’ security detail were arrested, some handcuffed, restrained, and detained on the ground. The police proceeded to search the convoy, ordering journalists and some activists to turn back. The detained bodyguards were later transferred to the central police station in Saint-Louis.

Ousmane Sonko threatens violence

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko responded with a fierce denunciation, singling out the Interior and Justice Ministers—Jean-Baptiste Tine and Ousmane Diagne, respectively—for their inaction. “I called the Ministers of the Interior and Justice to report Barthélemy Dias’ attacks on our convoy. Three attacks, zero arrests. They will have to take responsibility,” Sonko asserted.

On his Facebook page, Sonko’s response was more combative: “Barthélemy DIAZ and his coalition must no longer campaign in this country. Our party was attacked in multiple cities—Dakar, Koungheul, Saint Louis, Louga, and Mbacké. Complaints have been filed, visual evidence exists, yet not a single arrest. Each attack on Pastef since the campaign’s start must be avenged proportionally. We will exercise our legitimate right to respond.”

Sonko canceled planned campaign stops in Medina Yoro Foulah and Vélingara, choosing to address the confrontations with the Sàmm Sa Kàddu coalition directly. “I will no longer let anyone attack Pastef activists with impunity,” he stated, warning of a robust response to future provocations.

Opposition reacts to PM Sonko’s call for retaliation to violence.

The opposition swiftly condemned Sonko’s call for retaliatory action. Abdoul Mbaye, former Prime Minister, criticized Sonko for defying both the President’s call for a peaceful campaign and the police force. “By calling for violence, Ousmane Sonko challenges not only the President of the Republic but also a nation that has already suffered significant loss while he portrayed himself as a martyr,” Mbaye stated, calling for a halt to Sonko’s “numerous excesses.”

Thierno Alassane Sall, leader of the “Senegal Kessé” coalition, criticized Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, stating, “Instead of addressing this major security risk with the gravity it requires, the Prime Minister once again assumes the role of a militia leader, now in defiance of the very state he governs. His call for retaliation is echoed by senior officials across the administration, all appointed by the President, creating a highly concerning precedent. In a normal country, this would have led to the immediate dismissal of those involved.”

Sall continued, “We urge both heads of the executive to consider, with impartiality and heightened responsibility, the dangers their rivalry—now openly declared by the Prime Minister—poses to the country.“