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Senegal Deploys Extra Troops As Power Cuts Enrage
Tuesday, 28 June 2011 14:34
(Reuters) - Senegal deployed extra troops at ministry buildings, armoured personnel carriers near the presidential
palace and at least one helicopter gunship in the capital Dakar on Tuesday after riots over lengthy power cuts. Many Dakar homes and businesses have been without electricity for more than 30 hours, catalysing anti-government sentiment. Overnight, demonstrators burnt tyres and ransacked the offices of state electricity company Senelec and ministers' homes.
Riots erupted last week after President Abdoulaye Wade's tried to alter the constitution in a way his rivals said would make it easier for him to get re-elected in February.
Senegal has earned a reputation as West Africa's most stable and democratic country but is seeing rising public frustration over backsliding public services, particularly in power generation, since Wade took power in 2000.
Senelec director Seydina Kane, flanked by two ministers, said on national television on Tuesday that the problems had been caused by fuel shortages and the company was working to get the situation back to normal by the end of the year.
"It is a difficult situation, Senelec would like to present its apologies to the entire population," Kane said.
Senelec has been unable to keep up with electricity demand for years and a source at the company said it was currently facing a "huge shortage of fuel".
(Reporting by Diadie Ba; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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Comments
You may be right and thats how politicians are that a lot of promises are made when seeking for votes. But I made my judgements base on the realities on the ground. Power shortage for Senegal has been a case since Joof's time and I see no excuse for demonstrators to make damages because of failures of promises. What ever damage made will give a bad name to the government but the cost of repairs will come from the same demonstrators. So who is the looser here?
I was only commenting on the Senegalese riots and not events you cited in The Gambia. Since no lives were reported lost in Senegal,I did not see the need to mention it.
But you are right.The persons you mentioned,and many others,are victims of brutality & criminality and the culprits need to be brought to justice one day,hopefully.
Mature and sensible people should be able to hold peaceful and legitimate demonstrations to voice their dissatisfaction with anything,withou t resorting to violence & destruction.
But emotions are running very high in Senegal at the moment,and anger and frustration is getting the better of some people.
I hope the Senegalese authorities exercise restraint and engage the demonstrators in a positive way.
And I hope the authorities in The Gambia are studying the situation and ready and equiped to deal positively with any spill-overs from Senegal.
Nothing should be taken for granted.
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