Captain Haddock, Tintin’s faithful companion, often swore by « a thousand billion thousand portholes ». This expression comes from the maritime domain. Indeed, between the 17th and 19th centuries, warships were equipped with portholes, that is to say square or rectangular openings located on the sides, closed by shutters and through which the barrels of the cannons passed. Warships could then align several rows of cannons. During battles at sea, dozens of ships faced each other in line of battle, presenting their sides to the enemy. Opening their portholes, a deluge of fire then fell on the enemy ships.

Read the column – This play that has brought us so many deaths

Many centuries later, in Senegal, a politician allowed himself to look his fellow citizens straight in the eye to announce that « in one of the accounts of a former dignitary of the outgoing regime, (we) found 1000 billion CFA francs ». Faced with widespread astonishment, El Malick Ndiaye and Aminata Touré stepped up to provide after-sales service. When the specialists (including Abdoul Mbaye who nevertheless worked for the BCEAO and managed a good half-dozen banks in this country) demonstrated the absurdity of such a statement, the Minister of Transport played the carter who discusses aeronautics with the engineer. And it is to do what populists and demagogues know how to do, use easy shortcuts: « The 1000 billion exists. If you vote for us, we will go and get it. »

At Sonko’s, a square is a circle

If El Malick is used to playing the windshield wiper after his leader, Aminata Touré on the other hand, by wanting to be more royalist than the king, has sunk herself. « To those who ask if 1000 billion can be in a bank account in tax havens, of course it is enough to put 83 billion per year during the 12 years of Macky Sall. If we take 3 billion per year from the 35 ministers and more of the regime, that is 105 billion per year in each ministry. And the 12 years, that is more than 1200 billion. 1000 billion in an account for these tax havens, that is nothing extraordinary. » For a pillar of the outgoing regime until her disgrace born of her non-designation as president of the National Assembly in 2022, Mimi Touré admits to having participated in the plundering of public resources. As a main actress or as an accomplice or consenting spectator. Let us not forget that she was Minister of Justice for 16 months, Prime Minister for 10 months, President of the Economic Council for 17 months, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic between 2015 and 2019. But since Ousmane Sonko tells lies…

Indeed, Ousmane Sonko has a serious problem with the truth. One of my friends often says that “ay wakham diaroul door sa doom”, while another says that “ay wakham dou noor bay nawett”. He is the perfect disciple of Goebbels who told us: “The bigger the lie, the better it goes down.” The Nazi ideologue indeed told us that “through repetition, and with the help of a good knowledge of the psyche of the people concerned, it should be entirely possible to prove that a square is in fact a circle. Because after all, what are “circle” and “square”? Simple words. And words can be shaped to the point of making the ideas they convey unrecognizable”. Yes, for Sonko indeed, a square is a circle.

For years, the leader of Pastef has built a reputation based on the strategy of lies and manipulation through populist speeches, unfounded accusations, grotesque and non-factual statements, and promises often disconnected from the realities of power. Now in office, his statements of yesterday, which have dotted his career as an opponent, are now catching up with him. He has served us many pearls. Didn’t he say in 2016 that « pipelines have (already) been installed » to pump our oil and gas which were in the exploration phase, without the Senegalese knowing? It is only in 2024 that Senegal will see the first barrel of oil emerge from its deep waters. On January 19, 2019 at the Place de l’Obélisque, on the 94 billion affair, the same Sonko affirmed that “Mamour Diallo and his accomplices shared 46 billion”, that he knows the bank that received the funds, as well as the account number. “If the prosecutor does not want to investigate this case, we will, with civil society, set up a popular jury”, he added. We are in 2024, no trace of this sum, no popular jury. Hadn’t he told us here that in the event of attacks on a house of people in power (he was of course in the opposition), we would find “billions in their coffers”.

Every day we must expect a new hoax

And what about the embezzlement of the 29 billion from Prodac, for which he was ordered to pay 200 million in damages for defamation? He told us that this report is on his table, but so far no prosecution. Mame Mbaye Niang is, in fact, one of the many figures of the outgoing power that Sonko, during his monologues, has never stopped pointing the finger at, accusing them of all kinds of embezzlement, vowing to bring them to justice once in power. However, since March 2024, no serious investigation or legal proceedings have been initiated on the basis of his flashy and obviously false accusations. The great promises to track down the supposed embezzlements therefore remain a dead letter, leaving doubts hanging over the veracity of the past accusations and the moral probity of the person who makes them. He probably has the first chance of having the files in hand, but it is preferable to publish them and then comment on them, and everyone will be able to take information in advance from the said reports. But coming to denounce all day long on non-public reports is much worse than engaging in populism.

Read the column – Victor sells a Vision with a PSE sauce

Between now and the end of the election campaign, every day, we must expect a new hoax, at a time when citizens hope to be presented with projects and programs that can improve their living conditions. Even if many are in denial, today, the Senegalese know that this power is incapable and cannot ensure 5 years of governance based on trickery, deceit, manipulation. They have neither project nor program.

Ousmane Sonko is disconcertingly consistent in his untruth. Not criticizing him is a right, and loving him is too. But to hold a grudge against those who criticize him despite everything he has done and said, despite the gross untruths he says, is to turn a blind eye to the obvious and to be unfit for the deliberation that is the essence of an open society. There is no need to remind you that he owes his political salvation only to the denunciation, defamation, manipulation and violence that this has provoked. To be surprised to see people who are free by birth and citizenship criticize him is to admit to oneself that one does not deserve any consideration. He criticized everyone, including his current allies, whom he poaches left, right and centre, after having vomited on transhumance. He even insulted many of them. The people who yesterday criticized the authorities and who continue to do so are not vultures, scavengers of history, they say what they think of the men who govern them. And that is not only a right, it is a duty.

But deep down, is the problem Pastef and Sonko? Or is it the Senegalese voter? If the latter still chooses to support Pastef despite their blatant lies, denials all along the line, then one could wonder: are we a country of vicious people? Pastef’s bank of lies has never stopped working because its ultimate goal is the « trivialization of evil » that Hannah Arendt warned us about. « This constant lying is not intended to make the people believe a lie, but to ensure that no one believes anything anymore. A people who can no longer distinguish truth from lies cannot distinguish good from evil. And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, are, without knowing it, and without wanting to, completely subject to the rule of lying. With such a people, you can do whatever you want. »

Ps: This week of campaigning opened with a statement by the President of the Republic that sounds like the end of the game in his party. This statement by Bassirou Diomaye Faye, particularly on the appointment of Samba Ndiaye as Pca, had the merit of showing us that at Pastef, we have gone from « self-sacrifice for the Fatherland » to « the party is above the Fatherland » and from a President of the Republic with a very contested authority. Indeed, how can we understand the discourtesy with which this discretionary power of the Head of State was violently attacked by people who themselves benefited from the same leniency. And the President’s response is not marked by firmness.
By Bachir FOFANA