The winds of revolt are blowing across the Maghreb and the Middle East. Many opponents have been inspired to protest in Gabon and Cameroon as well.

Political opponents in Senegal are also getting in on the action by expressing their discontent at their government's misguided ways. March 19, 2011, has been chosen as the date to organize demonstrations in the country.

Winds of revolution

Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal. Image by Flickr user World Economic Forum (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Basile on I blog, therefore I am announced [fr] an initiative called: “We are fed up!” For March 19 at independence square”:

Le vent de la révolution venant des pays « Arabes» va souffler au Sénégal. En effet le patron du Groupe de presse Walfadjri vient de donner le coup d’envoi. En conférence de presse ce jeudi, Sidy Lamine Niasse a appelé tous les Sénégalais à une grande marche de protestation ce 19 mars prochain – date d’anniversaire de l’alternance politique au Sénégal – pour dénoncer l’injustice qui règne dans le pays. Le sit in aura pour cadre la place de Protêt ou place de l’indépendance, rebaptisée par Sidy Lamine Niasse, « place Tahrir » du nom ce haut lieu symbolique en Egypte.

@basileniane announced the beginning of the #19mars (March 19) [fr] hashtag on Twitter:

Chers blogueurs Sénégalais et de la diaspora c'est parti pour le hashtag #19mars en attendant #kebetu de #sunu2012

Screenshot of the Facebook page "Senegalese Revolution".

@basileniane also announced [fr] the creation of a Facebook page:

Révolution Sénégalaise : La page facebook qui sonne la révolte: Les Sénégalais sont entrés dans la danse d… http://bit.ly/i4 in Pb.

The page only has about 100 [update 15/03/11: 250] fans for now, but many web users have started their own “revolution”.

A post on the website Afrik.com on how the movement “We are fed up” is shaking the governing power [fr], informs us that the rap group Keur Gui was arrested after denouncing the Senegalese government's misguided ways and failures. The post ends with:

À un an des Présidentielles, le mouvement « Y en a marre » n’a sans doute pas fini de faire parler de lui.

Prior to the rap group Keur Gui, a young traveling salesman had expressed his discontent [fr] with the current governing power. Others like activist Ansoumana Dione [fr] are wishing for a peace committee for the nation [fr]. Others, such as the PIT (Party of Independence and Labor) are recommending [fr] President Abdoulaye Wade's immediate departure.

However, Wade does not only have opponents, for example, in a post titled “My name is Sidy Lamine Niasse – Yes! What's it got to do with you?“, Walid Faye warns against Niasse's rallying calls:

Devons-nous tout simplement faire la révolution parce que Sidy Lamine Niasse, un patron de télé, qui doit de l'argent à l'état le demande ?

Reasons behind the anger

The reasons for the anger? This non-exhaustive list of articles details the complaints of the regime's opponents:

• “Sénégal: élections locales à enjeu national sur fond de succession dynastique” (Senegal: Sunday March 22, 2009, local elections with national stakes set to a backdrop of dynastic succession) [fr].
• “Karim Wade fait son entrée au gouvernement sénégalais” (Karim Wade makes his entry into the Senegalese government) [fr]. – Subheader reads: The prodigal son is appointed Minister of State for Air Transport and Infrastructure
• “Sénégal: Karim Wade hyperministre” (Senegal: Karim Wade super-minister) [fr]. Subheader reads: The son of the Senegalese President takes over from the Minister of Energy.
• “Sénégal: errements et difficultés d'une succession monarchique au pouvoir” (Senegal: The misguided ways and difficulties of a monarchical power succession) [fr].
• “L'irrecevabilité de la candidature” (The inadmissibility of Wade's candidacy) [fr].
• “Sénégal: le président Wade veut briguer un 3ème mandat présidentiel à l’âge de 86. L'opposition dénoncent une tentative de manipulation de la constitution” (Senegal: At the age of 86, President Wade is seeking a 3rd presidential term. The opposition is denouncing an attempt to manipulate the constitution) [fr].
• “Congres du PDS: Comment Wade veut positionner Karim” (Conference of the PDS: How Wade wants to position Karim) [fr]. Subheader reads: The Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) will hold its convention at the end of November. In four months there will be the 2012 presidential election, scheduled for February. But why is president Wade so attached to this conference? What is it concealing?
• “Au Sénégal, Wade inaugure une statue à la mesure de sa mégalo” (In Senegal, Wade inaugurates a statue the size of his ego) [fr].