It’s quite a spectacle when former leaders suddenly turn into the critics they never had time for while in power. Macky Sall, Senegal’s former president, has now accused the new administration of seven months of “catastrophic” inaction, just days away from the nation’s next elections. Funny how this works, when Sall was president, his arch-nemesis, Ousmane Sonko, was practically a walking protest, shaking the streets of Senegal and leading demonstrations that cost lives.
Back in March, Sall’s preferred successor, who was supposed to carry his legacy, lost to Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the first round of the presidential election. Faye, a new face in Senegalese politics, wasted no time in shaking things up. He appointed Sonko, a long-time rival of Sall, as prime minister. Together, they vowed radical change, promising social justice and the eradication of corruption, ambitious goals( dreams I would say).
So, what’s been happening since? Well, after dissolving a parliament that was already dominated by the opposition, Faye and Sonko called for a quick parliamentary election on November 17.
With Faye as the leader and Sonko as the face of a new government, they pledged reforms and recovery. But Sonko, who had spent over seven months behind bars under Sall’s regime, hasn’t exactly been shy about taking shots at his former jailer.
Sall, from the comfort of his retirement, wrote an open letter this week, lamenting the state of affairs under Faye’s leadership. According to him, after just seven months, agriculture, fishing, small businesses, and construction were all in a “catastrophic state.” Well, Sall didn’t stop there, he went on to accuse the new government of governing through “rejection, populism, untruths, and manipulation.” All the “sterile speech” is replacing what Sall claims is the “action useful to the population.”
Meanwhile, the new administration’s review of public finances, released back in September, painted a weak picture. Sonko, always one to criticise , called the financial situation “catastrophic.”
According to him, the former administration manipulated financial figures to please international bodies, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sall has outright rejected these allegations, accusing them of slander.
Now here’s the real question who, in their right mind, would ever admit that they failed during their administration? Not many. Certainly not Sonko, who once declared himself the nation’s saviour, nor Sall, who must be feeling a touch of irony as his successor now holds his very own seat of power.
