Protected from the sun by a white tent, about fifty sheep are waiting at the Soumbédioune market in Dakar. But they are very few compared to previous years. “Last year I had over 150 heads. But this year, herders cannot come to Dakar because of the latest protests,” complains Modou Diouf, one of the traders.
Two weeks before Tabaski, the Muslim festival of the sacrifice of sheep which will be held on June 29, breeders in the regions of Louga, Diourbel or Thiès are afraid to take their animals to the capital since the clashes between militants and law enforcement on June 1 and 2. The clashes erupted after the two-year prison sentence of opponent Ousmane Sonko, who denounces a plot of power to dismiss him from the presidential election of February 2024.
A total of 23 people were killed in 48 hours according to Amnesty International and more than 350 injured according to the Senegalese Red Cross. Shops, gas stations, supermarkets were looted, causing losses amounting to billions of CFA francs, according to the National Council of Employers.
“We call on the government to allow herders to bring their animals back to the capital safely. Politicians must ensure that each inhabitant can have his sheep for Tabaski, “adds Modou Diouf, worried about not being able to meet demand. The Senegalese Ministry of Livestock estimates that 810,000 sheep are sacrificed throughout the country during the Tabaski, including 200,000 in Dakar alone.
The situation remains volatile in the capital
“We’re running out of sheep, it might drive up prices,” worries Paco, another vendor. “The situation has calmed down, but it’s not over because the problem is not solved,” worries his neighbor, Momar Diouf, who is sheltering a hundred sheep this year in front of the Soumbédioune market, while he usually has between 500 and 800.
The situation remains volatile in the capital. On the one hand because the Minister of Justice announced that the execution of Ousmane Sonko’s sentence could happen “at any time”. On the other hand because the political class is waiting to know if Macky Sall will decide on a possible candidacy for a third term.
“It is the responsibility of the government and of the President of the Republic, who must make a declaration for a real return to calm. He must say that he will not serve a third term, that he will leave Ousmane Sonko alone and that he will organize free elections where everyone can participate, “said the trader. During the Council of Ministers on Wednesday June 7, the Head of State announced that he would not speak before the end of the ongoing national dialogue, that is to say not before June 25.
“We are asking for guarantees of security from the State and we are asking the opposition and civil society to take their responsibilities by stopping calling for demonstrations,” said Ismaïla Sow, president of the National Council of the House of Breeders of the Senegal, which negotiates with herders to convince them to come to urban areas. “If riots break out, whoever has a shop can close it, whoever has a table puts away his things, but the sheep that are exposed in the street cannot be sheltered”, worries the professional, which calls for caution.
