By Isseu Diouf Campbell
On October 14, 2024, we launched a social media campaign to stop a fraud—a man with blood on his hands attempting to reinvent his reputation.
The man described by the Columbia Africa Conference as their “esteemed” keynote speaker was none other than Macky Sall, who for the past three years has persecuted members of the political party PASTEF, killed hundreds, and imprisoned thousands of his own citizens. His Machiavellian plan was to force an unwanted third term on the Senegalese people, a move he and his inner circle sought to continue plundering our country’s resources.
Senegalese citizens, both at home and abroad, fought relentlessly to remove him from power, voting 54% in favor of change under Bassirou Diomaye Faye. On the day of the power transfer, Macky Sall fled Senegal amid crowds booing him, with many hoping he would burn in hell.
So, when we learned that this man—responsible for so much pain and suffering—was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Columbia Africa Conference, we had to ask ourselves: could this really be the same Macky Sall? The same man who terrorized Senegalese citizens both at home and abroad? The same man who displayed open disdain for the people who gave him everything? The same man who was entrusted with power by the people to serve, but used that power to abuse the very same people? The same man who, for the first time in Senegal’s history, postponed the presidential elections because he couldn’t control the outcome?
Can such a man offer anyone a “renewed sense of hope for Africa’s success”? With his record?
We are thankful that the organizers of the Columbia Africa Conference listened to our concerns and decided to remove Macky Sall from the event.
If Macky Sall is to speak, it should be at the International Criminal Court, where he and his co-conspirators should answer for the human rights abuses they’ve committed.
As members of the Senegalese diaspora, we are committed to reminding him of the harm he has done to the people of Senegal and to seeking justice for all those who were killed or persecuted under his government.
