Amnesty International

Mr.

Macky

Sall

Republic of Senegal

Dear Minister,

I stand with the family of Cheikh Wade and those of the 13 other young Senegalese killed during the March 2021 protests to demand justice.

Cheikh Wade was a tailor living in Parcelles Assainies. He was participating in a protest that took place in Dakar on 8 March 2021 when he was shot in the neck. A video widely circulated on social media and authenticated by Amnesty International shows a member of the security forces aiming and firing a gun and the victim falling to the ground. Moments later, a police vehicle drove up to the body lying on the ground before continuing on its way.

The autopsy report concluded that death was due to head trauma from a firearm projectile with bone fracture, cerebral dislocation of the left hemisphere, and internal and external hemorrhaging.

On 26 May 2021, his family filed a complaint through their lawyer with a judge at the Court of Appeal of Dakar and the Attorney General at the Supreme Court. To date, no follow-up has been given to the case.

Protests that took place in several cities over this period were violently repressed by the defense and security forces. Amnesty International documented 14 deaths, with a further 590 people injured, according to the Senegalese Red Cross. As of the end of January, no information was yet available on the judicial inquiry announced by the authorities.

In sending you this letter, I am asking you to expedite the investigation into the death of Cheikh Wade so that the circumstances of his death can be fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

I also urge you to ask the Attorney General to open a judicial inquiry into the deaths of the other demonstrators and, more broadly, into the use of force by the defence and security forces generally during the events of March 2021.

Yours faithfully,

Mr.

Malick

Sall

Senegal

Dear Minister,

I stand with the family of Cheikh Wade and those of the 13 other young Senegalese killed during the March 2021 protests to demand justice.

The autopsy report concluded that death was due to head trauma from a firearm projectile with bone fracture, cerebral dislocation of the left hemisphere, and internal and external hemorrhaging.

Yours faithfully,

Mr.

Latif

Coulibaly

Senegal

Dear Minister,

I stand with the family of Cheikh Wade and those of the 13 other young Senegalese killed during the March 2021 protests to demand justice.

The autopsy report concluded that death was due to head trauma from a firearm projectile with bone fracture, cerebral dislocation of the left hemisphere, and internal and external hemorrhaging.

Yours faithfully,