Amnesty joins rights group to protest over Senegal torture

By Eric Sande 

Dakar, Senegal---Local human rights group ‘Raddho’ in Senegal in collaboration with Amnesty International have agreed on a common course to demand the country’s authorities be sanctioned for the rights abuses which is rampant in Senegal before a regional court for torture.

Assane Ndiaye, the Raddho’s coordinator confirmed that his team is on the ground collecting evidence from torture victims in order to table a case against the Senegalese government at the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) regional court in Abuja, Nigeria. The court adjudicates over various legal issues and can impose certain sanctions.

Amnesty International in conjunction with the Senegalese counterpart has levelled a charge against the Senegalese security forces of consistently using torture against suspects held in custody.

The Amnesty report pinpoints several rights abuses especially those against civilian victims from Casamance, the southern Senegalese province which has been associated with a long-running secessionist movement.

The detainees on the conflict have confessed cases of being combusted, electrocuted and almost asphyxiated by the security forces.