The former head of the General Means of the Presidency, Cheikh Oumar Diagne, reacted strongly to the arrest of journalists Maimouna Ndour Faye and Babacar Fall, who were arrested after their interview with journalist Madiambal Diagne. Although the two media professionals were released the next day, this episode continues to arouse strong reactions among the public. In a remarkable outing, Cheikh Oumar Diagne firmly denounced the attitude of the regime in place, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. “It is irresponsible, if you say say no”, he said, asserting that this act does not fit with the principles of freedom and justice that the two in power have always advocated. For the responsible politician, this arrest constitutes a grave precedent and is similar to “banditisme d’État”. “We cannot, in the name of the government, take on journalists who have only done their job”, he added, recalling that the press plays an essential role in any democracy. The departure of Cheikh Oumar Diagne thus reinforces the wave of disapproval that has been rising since this incident, with many voices calling on the authorities to exercise more restraint and strictly respect the freedom of the press.
Cheikh Oumar Diagne is against the Diomaye regime: “It is irresponsible, li yefou”…
