MANY IN SENEGAL ASK: "WHERE'S MY MONEY?"

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000929 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, AF/EPS, EB/IFD/ODF AND INR/AA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN PGOV ECON SG SUBJECT: MANY IN SENEGAL ASK: "WHERE'S MY MONEY?" REF: A. DAKAR 0837 ¶B. DAKAR 0877 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. It is common practice among politicians to make promises they cannot keep. Critics are complaining that this has become an art form in Senegal, where in the past couple of weeks, a rash of groups have complained publicly about money they were promised by the Government but never received. The consequences of such complaints, up to and including possible prosecution, can vary depending on how much money is being demanded. END SUMMARY. THE CENA'S MONEY -------------- ¶2. The National Autonomous Election Commission (CENA),the body responsible for oversight of the elections, has used the press to complain about its lack of funds for months. While it was promised a budget of 800 million CFA francs (CFAF) (USD 1.6 million) and 52 vehicles to conduct its work, much of the money was never released to CENA. On March 3, the CENA took the unprecedented step of issuing a communique to the media saying they had received no vehicles from the Government, and this threatened the voter registration process. The communique resulted in the Government offering CENA ten vehicles and telling CENA it could borrow others from the Interior Ministry. Still unsatisfied, CENA members have continued to push their case and have looked to other donors for support. The Interior Ministry responded strongly to their continued complaints via its own communique (issued April 8),saying it "regretted and deplored" CENA's attitude. THE RELIGIOUS FAMILY'S MONEY -------------- ¶3. Just a few days before their press conference, Tidjiane spokesperson Abdoul Aziz Sy Junior said Tidjianes were very put off by an announcement made by President Wade earlier in the day. Wade said three billion CFAF (USD six million) had been invested in Tivaouane to help the city prepare for the Gamou celebrating Maouloud, the Prophet Mohammad's birthday. The spokesperson told the daily "Walfadjri," "Tivaouane does not know where these three billion CFA went." THE ZIGUINCHOR LADIES' MONEY -------------- ¶4. During Mouammar Qadhafi's visit to Senegal to help celebrate its Independence Day last week, thousands of people were bussed into Dakar to greet the Libyan leader (Ref B). Of those thousands, 340 women from a section of the PDS in Ziguinchor were reportedly promised three million CFAF (USD 6,000) by the presidency to participate in a massive gathering coordinated by Family Minister Aida Mbodj. When they did not receive the money upon their return to Ziguinchor, they held a press conference to ask what happened to it. THE PUBLIC'S MONEY? -------------- ¶5. In the most contentious example of people asking what happened to their money, Ibrahima Sene, member of the Central Committee for the Labor Party (PIT) was arrested, charged with dissemination of false information, and abruptly released after he held a press conference during which he pondered the fate of 440 billion CFAF (USD 800 million) he claimed were inexplicably moved from Senegal to other countries from January to October 2005 (Ref A). Sene was released, but PIT Secretary General Amath Dansokho, Wade's key coalition organiser in the 2000 campaign who is now playing the same role for the anti-Wade coalition, was then targeted. Dansokho was summoned to the Criminal Investigation Division after Sene's release and interrogated about the same issue. The next day, he was asked to return for more questioning, but he refused. His supporters threatened to physically repel any attempts to take him in for more interrogation. Though charges levied against Dansokho were dropped immediately after Dansokho's refusal, he was asked by the judge in the case to appear before him on April 18 to answer still more questions regarding the matter. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. The examples above range from a relatively small pot of money meant to pay for transportation to a celebration to the large sum allegedly inappropriately removed from Senegal. The question remains the same, however: What happened to the money? While the GOS seemed willing to entertain (if not answer) such a question from the Ziguinchor ladies, it reacted angrily to CENA and filed criminal charges against PIT's leaders. Apparently, the higher the amount in question, the higher the stakes. END COMMENT. DAKAR 00000929 002 OF 002 JACOBS