Le tumulte du tera-meeting du Pastef : Le reporter Elimane Ndao raconte son immersion forcée
This Saturday, the esplanade of the Léopold Sédar Senghor stadium was transformed into a sea of people for the Pastef party's tera-meeting. Among the thousands of participants, a journalist was trying to do his job in extreme conditions. Elimane Ndao, a correspondent for France 24, gives a gripping account of his experience in the heart of the crowd.
“I arrived at the esplanade a little before 4 p.m.,” he recounts. A place he knows well. “My family lives right across the street. That’s where I broke my left arm when I was younger, after a fall from my bike.” But that day, it was another mistake he bitterly regrets: “I should have arrived much earlier,” the journalist admits.
Loaded down with five bags, a camera, a computer, a drone, a tripod, and personal belongings, the journalist tried to reach the press box. He quickly found himself confronted by a dense and impassable crowd. "It was mission impossible," he confided. To make progress, he addressed the participants, using local courtesy: "Sama xarit mayma ma jall" (My friend, let me through), "Sokhna ci excuse me, give way to me." His pleas resonated with the kind young people. "Despite the crush, the close quarters, and the heat, many took it upon themselves to help me."
After half an hour of slow progress, unintentional jostling, and repeated apologies, Elimane found himself not at the press box, but in front of the main stage. "The people I asked for directions simply and honestly lost me," he explained.
Facing five security guards, he tried to assert his status as a journalist. Badge, press card, equipment: nothing worked. "Sir, we're never going to let you through," the guards retorted. What followed was pushing and shoving, a physical struggle to avoid being swept away by the crowd. "The little strength I had left helped me hold on," he confided.
Taking advantage of a moment of inattention, he managed to slip to the side, climbed onto a speaker, and reached the stage. "I managed to get out of the crowd without losing anything. My five bags were still with me."
On the platform, he discovers another reality: that of people evacuated after losing consciousness. "A scene of distress, but also of humanity," he describes. Red Cross members and activists are providing them with assistance.
A member of parliament from the ruling party recognizes him and jokingly says, "Ki bokkul Pastef!" (That guy isn't part of Pastef!). Elimane replies with a smile, "No, I'm not part of Pastef. I'm just a journalist."
Finally, he bypasses the official stand, climbs the esplanade wall, and reaches the family home. From the terrace, he deploys his drone and frames Ousmane Sonko, leader of Pastef, with a telephoto lens. "My press platform could only be the terrace of the family home. If only I had known," he concludes.
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