Prime Minister Al Aminou Lo confronts Ousmane Sonko over political tensions
via SeneNews4 min read
Political tensions between Prime Minister Al Aminou Lo and his predecessor, Ousmane Sonko, have escalated following Sonko's recent press conference in Touba. Sonko, leader of Pastef, criticized the government's actions and announced his intention to support motions of censure against Lo's administration in the National Assembly. In response, Al Aminou Lo posted a message on X, widely interpreted as a direct reply to Sonko, stating, "To seek to make patriotism the monopoly of a single camp is, precisely, to betray it." Sonko had previously claimed that Al Aminou Lo, during a confidential meeting, stated his priority was to improve the business climate to meet the expectations of Western investors and economic partners. Sonko viewed this orientation as a "sabotage" of his own political agenda.
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The Division of Criminal Investigations DIC recently dismantled a drug trafficking network in the Almadies district of Dakar, leading to the arrest of four suspects. The operation resulted in the seizure of 96 bottles of nitrous oxide, 562 capsules, bulk MDMA, 175,000 CFA francs, and five mobile phones. The arrested individuals are D. K茅b茅, a freight forwarder; S. C. Diakhat茅, a security guard; A. Sarr, a taxi driver; and M. Sarr, identified as the main suspect. Investigators reportedly used an infiltration strategy by ordering drugs to identify network members. This led to the arrest of D. K茅b茅, who then implicated A. Sarr. A. Sarr was apprehended in his taxi at the L茅opold S茅dar Senghor stadium parking lot, where police found several cartons of nitrous oxide bottles. Subsequent investigations led to the arrests of S. C. Diakhat茅, where MDMA was allegedly found, and M. Sarr, at whose home 78 bottles of nitrous oxide were seized. During his questioning, M. Sarr claimed his supply came from a provider known as "Phantom," who he stated is based in Switzerland. The DIC is currently working to verify this declaration as investigations continue to identify potential accomplices and determine the full extent of the network's activities.