A member of the brand-new Kiiraay party, the President of the Republic’s chief of staff, Ousmane Abdoulaye Barro, put on a show of strength on Sunday at the Jappo ground. Determined to make the department of Mbour a preserve in the colours of the Head of State, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the former Pastef cadre sharply criticised his erstwhile fellow travellers, whom he accused of hypocrisy and manipulation.

By Alioune Badara CISS – The department of Mbour is set to become the stage for a merciless electoral battle. Surrounded by cadres, officials and supporters of the new political party Kiiraay, the President of the Republic’s chief of staff, Ousmane Abdoulaye Barro, made a much-noticed political comeback on Sunday at the Jappo ground. Determined to make Senegal’s third-largest pool of voters a private preserve, the former Pastef cadre broke his silence to lock down the native land of the Head of State, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, while landing some harsh blows on his former fellow travellers.

For the former cell leader, the time for discretion is definitively over: the battle for the ground leaves no more room for indulgence towards his opponents. “There are people who are chattering today, but when things were difficult, nobody was there. Only Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye had the courage to face up to it, which is why he went to prison. As early as 2017, I already knew he would become President of the Republic,” he said.

A former Pastef activist now committed under the Kiiraay banner – a party officially launched on 25 July – Ousmane Abdoulaye Barro took advantage of this popular rally to settle scores with his former party brothers, whom he openly accuses of manipulation and lying. Denouncing the double game of certain detractors, the chief of staff publicly called for an end to hypocritical rhetoric: “Let my opponents stop the slander and stop deceiving the People! Many of them call me in secret. I had said I would support Ousmane Sonko for at least ten years, but I went back on that decision, because you cannot build a country in two years. The President hands out diplomatic passports and several Pastef activists benefit from political funds, but nobody talks about it.”

In this strategic stronghold, a defeat for President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his own turf would be a major political setback. To avoid such a scenario, Kiiraay’s leaders intend to rely on the figure of the Head of State and his historic roots in the Thiocé-Est Oncad neighbourhood, where he grew up. Coming to the defence of the President’s record, Ousmane Abdoulaye Barro spoke directly to the Head of State’s relatives: “I say to Diomaye’s family that those who criticise the President should know that he is infinitely better than they are.”

To root the movement durably in the daily lives of local people, Kiiraay does not intend to limit its action to mere political speeches. Also present, the deputy director of the Presidential Office, Fatou Kiné Diakhaté (known as “Fifi”), insisted that “Mbour must be Kiiraay”. She took the opportunity to announce an ambitious social and vocational integration programme planned for the next six months: training for 200 young people, support for 1,000 players in the maritime sector and qualifications for 500 women in various trades.

Backed by influential local figures such as Abdoulaye Guèye and the former Hcct councillor Mohamadou Barro, Kiiraay’s leaders have a clear ambition: to make local proximity and social action the spearhead of the presidential victory in Mbour.

abciss@lequotidien.sn