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Senegal tense as nation awaits ex-president’s return

The announcement of Wade’s return has dominated headlines since the start of the week, with the media describing security forces as being in a “state of high-alert” over the visit.

Daily newspaper Le Populaire splashed on “A Friday heavy with menace” while Walfadjri, another daily, invoked the 1982 Mel Gibson war drama “A Year of Living Dangerously” with its front page headline speaking of a Friday “de tous les dangers”.

Anti-riot police with shields, helmets and batons, have been deployed across Dakar since Wednesday, with protests banned over fears of “public disorder”.

Wade told reporters before leaving France that he would respect Senegalese security measures and was not intending to destabilise the Sall regime, but he has also vowed to press on with his outlawed party meeting.

Wade’s son Karim, 45, whose wealth includes land in Dakar, a fleet of luxury cars and media and finance companies operating across Africa, has been on remand in Dakar for a year and is due to be tried in June.

Senegal authorities accuse him of using corrupt means to acquire a fortune of 117 billion CFA francs (178 million euros, $246 million) when he was a so-called “super minister” in his father’s cabinet.

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