Senegal’s ASER scandal: Thierno Alassane Sall alleges state deception, implicates Ousmane Sonko


Deputy Thierno Alassane Sall has publicly asserted that a confidential memo, dated August 26, 2024, and bearing the signature of former Energy Minister Birame Souleye Diop, provides undeniable evidence of systemic malfunction at the highest levels of the Senegalese government. In a statement disseminated across his social media platforms, the leader of the République des Valeurs party declared that this specific “confidential note from August 26, 2024, signed by then-Energy Minister Birame Souleye Diop, stands as irrefutable proof of a state deception.”
 
Thierno Alassane Sall contends that the head of government was made aware of the irregularities surrounding the management of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER) at an early stage. In his communiqué, the parliamentarian stated unequivocally that “Ousmane Sonko’s responsibility is now overwhelming,” further elaborating that “the document, which has been circulating for several days, confirms that the Prime Minister was informed, as early as August 2024, of the alleged misappropriation of the startup advance, a portion of which was seemingly used to disburse bonuses for SONAC, according to the minister.” This revelation highlights critical issues within Africa politics English discourse regarding accountability.
 
The deputy sharply criticized the administration’s passive stance concerning the warnings issued in this matter, prior to the intervention of financial partners and regulatory bodies. Within his written declaration, Thierno Alassane Sall posed a direct question: “Not only did Prime Minister Sonko disregard this critical alert, but he also orchestrated an Omerta by proclaiming ‘zero ASER scandal.’ Who was he trying to shield?” This raises significant questions for pan-African current affairs.
 
Furthermore, the parliamentarian underscored that the leak of this correspondence “reinforces the classification of a criminal association, as targeted by the Financial Judicial Pool,” affirming that “this entire affair serves as a crucial test for the justice system and for the commitment to ‘Jub Jubal Jubbanti’ loudly proclaimed by the executive.”