Senegal NGOs warn of xenophobic rhetoric

Three human rights organisations urged Senegal on Tuesday to act against what they called a rise in xenophobic rhetoric in the media and on social networks.

The African Assembly for the Defence of Human Rights, the Senegalese League for Human Rights and Amnesty International Senegal condemned what they described as attacks across platforms targeting communities established in the country.

Their statement followed recent police operations in Dakar that led to arrests and displacement of foreign nationals, particularly people from Niger, in connection with suspected begging rings. The operations prompted significant reaction in the media and online.

The organisations also said several civil society groups had recently denounced alleged threats and intimidation on social media against Senegal's Guinean community, which has lived and worked in the country for decades.

The three NGOs said Senegal had an obligation to protect everyone under its jurisdiction from violence and discrimination based on race, ethnicity or national origin. They called for existing laws on entry and residence of foreign nationals to be enforced rigorously, while warning against political exploitation of the migration debate.

They also said human trafficking for prostitution or forced begging must be combated and that victims must receive adequate support.

The Senegalese interior ministry did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

During a National Assembly debate on Monday, nationalist lawmaker Tahirou Sarr spoke of what he called an injustice experienced by Senegalese people in several Dakar neighbourhoods because of an influx of foreign beggars. He also accused foreigners of involvement in begging, criminal activity and prostitution.