Favored greater than 1,000 occasions, the put up was revealed by an account that always shares anti-Western content material, referring to the Senegalese president as a “French puppet”.
Senegal gained independence from France in 1960 and has by no means skilled a coup, making it a uncommon feat in coup-stricken West Africa.
However on February 3, President Macky Sall introduced a delay for the February 25 elections, simply hours earlier than the beginning of the marketing campaign.
Senegalese lawmakers confirmed the choice quickly after, paving the way in which for Sall to stay in workplace till his successor is put in, regardless of rising issues in regards to the erosion of democracy within the nation. AFP coated the story (archived right here).
The put up features a 27-second video displaying people throwing projectiles whereas males in uniform fireplace fuel canisters into the gang.
“They will't fall. If somebody falls, they're useless. Watch out, watch out,” says a person talking in French behind the digicam.
A lot of the feedback are in English and are available from accounts primarily based in Nigeria and South Africa, who’re calling for comparable protests of their international locations.
“It can all the time be…Nigeria, prepare, it’s clearly inevitable that the time to take again our nation has come. (sic)“, learn one remark.
“I brag to the Senegalese for not permitting a tyrant and a scoundrel of imperialism to have his approach,” says one other.
Though violent road protests rocked Dakar after Sall's announcement (archived right here), the video is previous.
Video 2023
Utilizing a reverse picture search, AFP Truth Verify discovered a French-language put up from March 18, 2023which incorporates the identical clip used within the faux put up (archived right here).
“The Senegalese folks will stand robust within the face of the bandits of the APR,” reads the legend in French.
APR refers back to the Alliance for the Republic, the nation's political get together based by Sall (archived right here).
AFP Truth Verify continues to be investigating the unique context of the video, however sure clashes came about within the nation on March 16, 2023 (archived right here).
Video reveals Dakar
Utilizing geolocation strategies, AFP Truth Verify confirmed that the video was filmed in Dakar.
At 0'24'', an indication studying “Kane” is seen on one of many buildings.
Utilizing a key phrase search, AFP Truth Verify discovered a store in downtown Dakar known as Kane.
An April 2023 Google Avenue View picture of the “Kane American Grocery Retailer” reveals the identical constructing seen within the faux put up (archived right here).
Instability in West Africa
The worldwide group has expressed concern in regards to the democratic decline in West Africa, the place Senegal is usually seen as a bastion of stability.
Neighboring Mali, comparable to Burkina Faso and Niger, are all led by army regimes after coups lately.
Each Burkina Faso and Mali ought to maintain elections later this 12 months, however the army authorities wish to prolong the “transition” intervals, citing the insecurity generated by the jihadist unrest (archived right here).
Nigeria held an election in 2023, however opposition candidates contested President Bola Tinubu's victory, saying the vote was marred by fraud and voting irregularities (archived right here).
The election has sparked a wave of misinformation and anger in Africa's most populous nation.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Nigeria in January as a part of a plan to fight instability within the area (archived right here).
